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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 120 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: fan · mine · court · safe · season · calf · cap · chair

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. court — of a king
  4. cap — a lid
  5. season — in sport
  6. court — for sport
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chair — a leader
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. season — of the year
  13. cap — of ice
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cap — a hat

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