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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · can · wound · patient · date · deal · safe · file

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. file — a tool
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. court — of a king
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. deal — to handle
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. court — for sport
  13. wound — an injury
  14. file — a document
  15. date — the fruit
  16. court — of law
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wound — an injury
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. can — a tin
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. date — on the calendar

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