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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: sharp · march · pop · wave · bass · charge · safe · prune

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. march — the month
  6. sharp — clever
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pop — soda
  10. march — music
  11. prune — to trim
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pop — music
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bass — the fish
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. march — the month
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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