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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: safe · fine · game · mouse · date · kick · court · pitch

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. court — of law
  3. date — the fruit
  4. game — wild animals
  5. kick — in football
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fine — all right
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. game — a match
  15. fine — high quality
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. court — of a king
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  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