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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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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: cue · straw · safe · snap · fork · court · mine · bound

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. court — of a king
  6. bound — certain
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mine — for digging
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. court — for sport
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bound — obliged
  20. snap — to click
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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