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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 124 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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Word bank
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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: safe · mouse · pass · plane · band · game · pit · cabinet

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. game — a match
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. band — a ring
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pass — a permit
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a music group
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. game — wild animals
  24. cabinet — ministers

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