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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: fork · rush · bass · safe · ball · dip · net · land

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. net — for catching
  5. bass — low music
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. net — in sport
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. land — to come down
  12. dip — to sink
  13. ball — a dance
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bass — the fish
  24. net — after costs

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