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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: bat · file · arm · cabinet · safe · straw · pass · pitch

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — completely
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. file — a document
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. file — a tool
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bat — the animal
  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