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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: last · bass · safe · pass · fork · object · track · pitch

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. object — to protest
  3. last — finally
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. last — to go on
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bass — low music
  9. object — an aim
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. track — a song
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. track — a path
  15. last — final
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bass — the fish
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. object — a thing
  24. safe — out of danger

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