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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: club · kid · pass · game · season · safe · pitcher · object

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pass — a permit
  4. club — for golf
  5. game — wild animals
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. club — for dancing
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. season — in sport
  13. object — an aim
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. club — a group
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. object — to protest
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. kid — child
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. game — a match
  23. kid — to tease
  24. object — a thing

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