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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
468
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: cabinet · track · mine · bass · coach · safe · mate · pitcher

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mine — for digging
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. track — a song
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. track — a path
  16. mate — a partner
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mate — a friend
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. cabinet — ministers

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