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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: mine · season · content · pit · march · chip · safe · bass

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bass — the fish
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bass — low music
  7. march — the month
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pit — a hole
  11. chip — to eat
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. content — the amount
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. content — happy
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. march — the month
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. march — music
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. chip — for betting

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