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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: bass · sharp · swing · content · safe · drill · ruler · fork

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bass — low music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. drill — the tool
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bass — the fish
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. swing — music
  13. content — happy
  14. content — the amount
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. swing — to play on
  17. fork — in a road
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. sharp — clever
  24. safe — out of danger

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