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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: tube · ground · pop · safe · land · bulb · sharp · bound

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tube — the underground
  4. land — ground
  5. tube — a container
  6. sharp — clever
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. bound — tied together
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bound — certain
  12. land — a country
  13. ground — crushed
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. land — to come down
  16. bulb — for light
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pop — soda
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pop — music
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bulb — for light

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