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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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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: squash · lean · court · safe · hand · pitch · bat · bass

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. lean — to bend
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bat — the animal
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. court — for sport
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bass — low music
  14. squash — the sport
  15. court — of law
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. court — of a king
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. lean — thin
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bass — the instrument

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