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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: court · coach · bass · pit · safe · spell · wound · saw

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bass — the fish
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — for sport
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bass — low music
  17. pit — a hole
  18. spell — magic
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wound — an injury
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spell — letters
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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