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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
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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: mate · pitcher · bass · object · lean · safe · bowl · mine

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mate — a partner
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bass — low music
  21. object — to protest
  22. lean — thin
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. lean — to rest against

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