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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 116 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: club · court · wave · safe · fine · fork · cabinet · season

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. season — in sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fork — in a road
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. club — for golf
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. season — of the year
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. court — for sport
  19. fine — all right
  20. court — of law
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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