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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
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: content · ball · rule · mine · bear · mate · safe · coach

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rule — government
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. content — the amount
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mate — to breed
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. content — happy
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bear — the animal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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