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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: safe · track · plane · rash · last · court · pass · foot

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. track — a song
  3. foot — a measure
  4. court — of a king
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pass — a permit
  7. last — final
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rash — hasty
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. last — to go on
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. last — finally
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. track — a path
  21. plane — a tool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rash — a series
  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