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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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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: court · snap · can · key · squash · foot · fork · safe

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. snap — to click
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. key — for a lock
  10. can — a tin
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. can — a tin
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. fork — in a road
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. court — of law
  21. squash — to crush
  22. court — of a king
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. can — to be able to

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