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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. game — wild animals
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. firm — decided
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. firm — a company
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. game — a match
  21. bat — the animal
  22. kid — child
  23. firm — steady
  24. bass — low music

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