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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.

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: scale · spring · court · jam · snap · stand · safe · press

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. spring — a coil
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. press — a publisher
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. spring — the season
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. scale — in music
  10. court — of law
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. press — newspapers
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. press — to push
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. court — of a king
  21. scale — size or range
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spring — of water
  24. scale — for weighing

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