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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: court · rush · safe · jam · land · nail · season · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. court — for sport
  5. rush — hurry
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. land — to come down
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. land — a country
  17. court — of law
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. court — of a king
  22. land — ground
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. nail — on a finger

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