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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: field · chair · mate · stand · ball · deal · safe · court

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mate — a partner
  10. field — for sport
  11. mate — a friend
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. court — of law
  14. deal — to handle
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. court — of a king
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. field — a subject
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. field — farmland
  22. ball — a dance
  23. chair — a leader
  24. court — for sport

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