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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: present · wake · safe · mouse · pop · court · mine · fan

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. present — a gift
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pop — to visit
  11. court — for sport
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. present — there
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. mine — for digging
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. present — the time now
  24. mine — an explosive

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