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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 · prune · stock · ground · roll · bass · pitcher · toast

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ground — crushed
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bass — low music
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. roll — a cake
  17. prune — to trim
  18. toast — bread
  19. prune — to trim
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. roll — a list
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. prune — the fruit

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