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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 116 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: bound · pitcher · rest · safe · net · bass · bear · clip

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rest — what's left
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — the animal
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bass — low music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bound — certain
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. net — for catching
  24. safe — a strongbox

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