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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · court · fall · bear · present · mate · safe · chip

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bear — the animal
  4. court — for sport
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bear — the animal
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. present — the time now
  17. squash — to crush
  18. court — of law
  19. present — a gift
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chip — to eat
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. court — of a king
  24. squash — the sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com