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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bass — low music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bass — the fish
  6. court — of law
  7. ball — a dance
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. court — of a king
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. tube — a container
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pass — a permit
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. tube — the underground

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