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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.

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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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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 · bore · foot · cue · cabinet · race · court · branch

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cue — for pool
  3. court — of a king
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bore — to tire
  9. court — of law
  10. race — humankind
  11. court — for sport
  12. race — the arms race
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cue — a signal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. branch — a division
  21. race — a contest
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bore — to drill

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