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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: key · stand · game · bass · safe · spring · drill · can

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. drill — the tool
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. spring — the season
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. drill — a practice
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. spring — a coil
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. drill — army training
  22. key — the most important part
  23. can — a tin
  24. spring — of water

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