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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.

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: date · safe · court · pitcher · stand · bear · cabinet · toast

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. court — of a king
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. date — the fruit
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. toast — bread
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. court — of law
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bear — the animal
  22. court — for sport
  23. bear — the animal
  24. safe — out of danger

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