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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: field · fall · pass · court · scale · bank · mate · safe

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fall — the season
  3. field — farmland
  4. mate — a partner
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. court — of law
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bank — for money
  12. scale — in music
  13. field — a subject
  14. court — of a king
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bank — for money
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bank — of a river
  21. court — for sport
  22. mate — a friend
  23. field — for sport
  24. fall — to drop

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