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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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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 · swing · roll · content · bulb · land · bowl · can

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. can — to be able to
  5. land — a country
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. content — happy
  9. land — to come down
  10. can — a tin
  11. swing — to play on
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. swing — music
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. can — a tin
  16. bulb — for light
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a list
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. content — the amount
  24. safe — out of danger

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