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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: club · hand · mug · tube · pass · bat · chair · safe

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. tube — a container
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mug — a cup
  5. club — a group
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. club — for dancing
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pass — a permit
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mug — a face
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. tube — the underground
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. hand — help
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. club — for golf
  24. safe — a strongbox

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