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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: bass · pass · jam · patient · scale · sharp · roll · safe

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. roll — a cake
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bass — low music
  11. scale — in music
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pass — a permit
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bass — the fish
  19. roll — a list
  20. scale — size or range
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. roll — on a roll

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