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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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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: game · temple · safe · stock · jam · court · object · fall

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. fall — to drop
  3. object — an aim
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. court — for sport
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. court — of a king
  8. stock — shares
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. object — a thing
  13. game — wild animals
  14. object — to protest
  15. fall — the season
  16. game — a match
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. court — of law
  22. stock — goods
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. fall — to drop

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