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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. net — in sport
  4. hand — help
  5. mate — to breed
  6. net — for catching
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bass — low music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. court — of a king
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. net — after costs
  13. mate — a partner
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. band — a music group
  17. court — of law
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bass — the fish
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. court — for sport
  24. band — a ring

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