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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 120 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
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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: press · bay · nail · rest · safe · game · coach · pitcher

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. game — wild animals
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. press — to push
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. game — a match

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