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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: firm · fan · ground · kick · bound · court · date · safe

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bound — tied together
  5. firm — a company
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. court — of a king
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kick — in football
  12. court — for sport
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. court — of law
  19. ground — a position
  20. date — the fruit
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bound — certain
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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