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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: land · sharp · mate · pop · board · bass · wake · safe

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pop — soda
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pop — to visit
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pop — music
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. board — a committee
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bass — low music
  18. wake — a trail
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. land — ground
  24. wake — before a funeral

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