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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: jam · sharp · rule · court · safe · squash · mark · pass

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mark — a trace
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. squash — the sport
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mark — a grade
  13. sharp — clever
  14. court — for sport
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rule — a law
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rule — government

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