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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.

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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: cabinet · safe · content · fan · cue · tear · ground · club

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. club — a group
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tear — from crying
  5. ground — the earth
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. content — happy
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. tear — to rip
  11. cue — a signal
  12. ground — crushed
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. content — the amount
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. club — for dancing
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. cue — for pool
  22. club — for golf
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. ground — a position

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