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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: mark · saw · bat · roll · safe · bass · pitch · present

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bass — the fish
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. roll — a list
  6. present — a gift
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pitch — completely
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. present — the time now
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. present — there
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bass — low music
  18. bat — the animal
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. roll — a cake
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bass — the instrument

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