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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: safe · press · key · bulb · bass · net

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bulb — for light
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. net — for catching
  6. bass — low music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. press — to push
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. net — in sport
  11. key — the most important part
  12. press — newspapers
  13. key — in music
  14. net — after costs
  15. bass — the fish
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bulb — for light
  18. 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