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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 120 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: mark · board · bass · fan · pop · safe · cold · mine

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. pop — music
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. board — a committee
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bass — low music
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. board — to get on
  19. cold — an illness
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pop — soda
  24. bass — the fish

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