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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 116 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: pass · court · fall · safe · fan · swing · ground · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ground — crushed
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pass — a permit
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. swing — to play on
  7. ground — a position
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. court — of law
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. court — for sport
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. court — of a king
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fall — the season
  22. swing — music
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fall — to drop

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