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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: land · march · dip · court · safe · press · chair · calf

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. press — to push
  3. march — music
  4. court — for sport
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. dip — to sink
  10. march — the month
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. court — of law
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. court — of a king
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. march — the month
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. chair — a leader

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