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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: date · bass · chip · season · safe · rash · mate · band

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mate — a friend
  3. season — in sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. band — a ring
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rash — a series
  14. band — a music group
  15. chip — to eat
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mate — a partner
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bass — the fish
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rash — hasty
  24. season — of the year

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