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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 · leaves · ground · ruler · snap · staff · date · safe

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. ground — crushed
  3. court — for sport
  4. ground — the earth
  5. staff — a stick
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. court — of a king
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. court — of law
  12. ground — a position
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. staff — employees
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. date — the fruit
  21. staff — employees
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. snap — to click
  24. leaves — of a tree

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