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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: bank · chair · game · bowl · pop · bay · safe · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bank — for money
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. game — a match
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pop — music
  21. bank — for money
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pop — soda

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