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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · court · arm · foot · spring · key · safe · rule

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. spring — the season
  3. key — the most important part
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. court — for sport
  6. rule — a law
  7. key — in music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spring — a coil
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rule — government
  15. fine — high quality
  16. court — of a king
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. spring — of water
  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