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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: jam · date · row · safe · bass · court · ground · leaves

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. row — a line
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. court — of law
  10. ground — crushed
  11. row — to paddle
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. court — of a king
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. date — the fruit

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