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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.

Make a worksheet

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: court · sharp · safe · bass · press · cue · racket · rest

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. court — of law
  5. bass — the fish
  6. court — of a king
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. cue — a signal
  10. press — to push
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. press — newspapers
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rest — what's left
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rest — a break
  21. court — for sport
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bass — low music
  24. sharp — clever

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