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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: firm · safe · court · bay · cap · bass · pass · ball

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pass — a permit
  7. firm — a company
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. court — of law
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bass — low music
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. court — of a king
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. court — for sport
  20. cap — of ice
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bass — the fish

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