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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: hand · jam · safe · snap · bear · court · key · pitcher

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. key — the most important part
  3. court — of a king
  4. hand — help
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. court — for sport
  16. hand — in cards
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. key — in music
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bear — the animal
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. snap — to click

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