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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · content · safe · bass · pitch · bulb · club · mark

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. club — a group
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mark — a grade
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. spell — magic
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. content — happy
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pitch — completely
  13. club — for golf
  14. spell — letters
  15. bass — low music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. club — for dancing
  18. content — the amount
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mark — a trace

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