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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: bass · firm · kid · pop · stem · safe · game · deal

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pop — music
  3. game — a match
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. firm — a company
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bass — low music
  13. deal — to handle
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pop — soda
  18. bass — the fish
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. firm — decided
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. firm — steady

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