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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: stick · pit · bass · file · mine · spring · tube · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. spring — of water
  7. bass — low music
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. spring — a coil
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. file — a document
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. file — a tool
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pit — a hole
  20. file — a line of people
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spring — the season
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mine — belonging to me

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