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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: roll · foot · pass · staff · ball · cold · track · safe

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. roll — a cake
  6. ball — a dance
  7. roll — a list
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. staff — employees
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cold — an illness
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. staff — employees
  17. track — to keep track
  18. ball — a great time
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. track — a path
  22. staff — a stick
  23. track — a song
  24. pass — to succeed

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