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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: safe · bat · ball · club · track · tube · rush · press

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. track — a path
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bat — the animal
  7. ball — a great time
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. press — a publisher
  10. tube — the underground
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. ball — a dance
  16. track — a song
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rush — hurry
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. tube — a container
  22. track — to keep track
  23. press — to push
  24. club — for dancing

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