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

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bass — low music
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bass — the fish
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. content — happy
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. content — the amount
  22. foot — a measure
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. content — videos and posts

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