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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. object — a thing
  3. pass — a permit
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stem — to come from
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. object — an aim
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bass — low music
  12. mug — to rob
  13. object — to protest
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mug — a face
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. mug — a cup
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. court — for sport
  24. stem — a stem cell

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