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

Word bank: pass · court · fall · safe · fan · swing

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. court — for sport
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. fall — to drop
  5. court — of law
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pass — a permit
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. court — of a king
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fall — the season

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