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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.

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: kid · cabinet · safe · court · fan · pitch · present · bass

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. present — a gift
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. kid — child
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bass — low music
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. court — of a king
  24. kid — to tease

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