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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.

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: mug · safe · court · cold · scale · kid · track · staff

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mug — a face
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. kid — child
  8. scale — size or range
  9. court — of law
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. court — for sport
  12. track — a path
  13. mug — a cup
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. track — a song
  16. kid — to tease
  17. staff — employees
  18. mug — to rob
  19. track — to keep track
  20. court — of a king
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. scale — in music
  24. cold — an illness

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