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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: track · safe · bass · fan · cue · spring · stick · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bass — low music
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. spring — the season
  5. cue — a hint
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cue — a signal
  9. track — a path
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spring — of water
  12. bass — the fish
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. spring — a coil
  16. track — a song
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bulb — for light
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. track — to keep track

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