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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: bat · bulb · fan · can · safe · foot · bass · last

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. last — to go on
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bass — low music
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bulb — for light
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bat — the animal
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bulb — for light
  14. can — a tin
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. last — final
  17. can — to be able to
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. last — finally
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. can — a tin
  22. bass — the fish
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bat — for baseball

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