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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: sharp · mate · court · file · field · bound · shower · safe

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. file — a document
  4. court — of law
  5. sharp — clever
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. shower — to wash
  8. mate — to breed
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — for sport
  11. file — a line of people
  12. field — a subject
  13. bound — certain
  14. shower — rain
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mate — a partner
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. file — a tool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mate — a friend

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