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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: key · pound · fan · court · mine · bat · leaves · safe

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. court — for sport
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. key — in music
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mine — for digging
  19. court — of law
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. key — the most important part
  23. court — of a king
  24. key — for a lock

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