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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
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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: drill · snap · ball · content · present · bass · safe · track

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. track — to keep track
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. track — a song
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. drill — the tool
  11. present — the time now
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bass — low music
  14. track — a path
  15. snap — to click
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. content — happy
  19. present — there
  20. present — a gift
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ball — a dance
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — the amount

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