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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: cell · pop · pit · pound · court · foot · cap · safe

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pop — soda
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. court — of a king
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. pound — a weight
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. foot — a measure

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