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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · last · drill · safe · jam · chest · pop · bass

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. last — final
  3. bass — the fish
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bass — low music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pop — soda
  14. last — to go on
  15. drill — a practice
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. last — finally
  22. pit — a hole
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pop — music

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