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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.

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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: safe · arm · charge · court · land · ground · bore · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. court — for sport
  4. fine — high quality
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. charge — a price
  7. land — a country
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. charge — electricity
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. charge — in control
  13. court — of law
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. ground — the earth
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bore — to tire
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. land — to come down
  21. court — of a king
  22. land — ground
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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