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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 120 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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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: club · bass · safe · hide · mark · pit · court · kid

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. bass — low music
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. club — a group
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mark — a trace
  10. club — for golf
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pit — in a race
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. kid — child
  21. court — for sport
  22. pit — a hole
  23. safe — out of danger
  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