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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. staff — a stick
  3. face — to point toward
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — a permit
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. face — part of the head
  11. court — of law
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. staff — employees
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bass — the fish
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. face — to confront
  21. staff — employees
  22. saw — the tool
  23. field — farmland
  24. saw — the tool

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