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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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. bulb — for light
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bass — the fish
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bulb — for light
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. last — to go on
  15. drill — army training
  16. last — finally
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. ball — a great time
  19. game — wild animals
  20. last — final
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bass — low music
  23. tube — a container
  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