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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 · march · bulb · fine · last · content · press · key

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. last — finally
  3. bulb — for light
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. last — to go on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. press — to push
  9. fine — all right
  10. march — music
  11. press — newspapers
  12. march — the month
  13. content — happy
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fine — high quality
  16. last — final
  17. content — the amount
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — the most important part
  22. march — the month
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fine — a penalty

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