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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.

Make a worksheet

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: safe · mouse · date · chair · march · cabinet · stand · pop

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pop — music
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pop — to visit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. march — the month
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. date — the fruit
  23. pop — soda
  24. safe — out of danger

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