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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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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: court · safe · bowl · pit · saw · ball · snap · pass

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pit — in a race
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. court — for sport
  10. snap — to click
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. court — of law
  15. ball — a dance
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. court — of a king
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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