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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · land · wax · bass · bat · deal · cell

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cell — in biology
  6. land — to come down
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. land — a country
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bat — the animal
  17. track — a path
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. land — ground
  21. wax — to grow
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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