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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: safe · can · rule · spring · bass · bat · saw · bowl

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bat — the animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bass — low music
  10. can — to be able to
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. rule — government
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. can — a tin
  18. rule — a law
  19. spring — of water
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bass — the instrument

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