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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: track · court · key · mine · safe · rule · fan · bass

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rule — government
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rule — a law
  6. key — the most important part
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bass — low music
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. key — for a lock
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. court — of a king
  15. track — a song
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. key — in music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mine — for digging
  20. court — of law
  21. track — a path
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mine — an explosive
  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