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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: court · shower · deal · cabinet · saw · bay · safe · suit

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. suit — in cards
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. deal — to handle
  7. court — for sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. suit — to fit
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. court — of law
  18. suit — clothes
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. saw — the tool
  24. shower — rain

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