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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: mark · game · charge · chest · safe · object · rush · bass

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. game — a match
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. chest — a box
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bass — low music
  9. charge — a price
  10. game — wild animals
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mark — a grade
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. chest — of your body
  18. object — an aim
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. charge — in control
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rush — hurry
  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