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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 116 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: safe · board · fine · season · tube · current · court · mark

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fine — high quality
  4. tube — a container
  5. board — to get on
  6. mark — a grade
  7. tube — the underground
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. season — in sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. season — of the year
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. board — a committee
  14. fine — all right
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mark — a trace
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. court — for sport
  21. current — of water
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. court — of law

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