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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: bank · safe · jam · bass · season · rash · drill · capital

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  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. rash — a series
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bass — the fish
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. drill — a practice
  8. season — in sport
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. season — of the year
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. capital — a city
  16. rash — hasty
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. drill — army training
  23. capital — money
  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