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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. season — of the year
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. net — in sport
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bass — the fish
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. bass — low music
  15. mine — for digging
  16. key — in music
  17. net — after costs
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rush — hurry
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. net — for catching

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