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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 116 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.

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 · bass · spell · can · saw · game · rock · pitcher

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. can — a tin
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bass — low music
  12. game — wild animals
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. spell — letters
  16. can — a tin
  17. game — a match
  18. saw — the tool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bass — the fish
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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