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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 · jam · wound · court · board · bass · wake · plane

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bass — low music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bass — the fish
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. court — of a king
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. board — to get on
  15. court — of law
  16. board — a committee
  17. court — for sport
  18. plane — a tool
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bass — the instrument

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