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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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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: mate · club · ruler · ground · deal · safe · court · kid

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. club — a group
  5. ground — a position
  6. court — for sport
  7. ground — the earth
  8. court — of law
  9. mate — to breed
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. club — for golf
  12. kid — child
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. court — of a king
  17. mate — a friend
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. club — for dancing
  20. kid — to tease
  21. deal — to handle
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. ground — crushed

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