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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: ball · safe · bat · pass · bay · track · game · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. pass — a permit
  8. ball — a dance
  9. net — for catching
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. net — in sport
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bat — the animal
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. game — a match
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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