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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: safe · fall · bulb · stock · bass · roll · hand · cap

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bulb — for light
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cap — a hat
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. cap — a lid
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. roll — a cake
  16. cap — of ice
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. roll — a list
  21. fall — the season
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. fall — to drop

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