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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: present · bass · safe · season · pop · land · rush · rule

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pop — soda
  3. season — in sport
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pop — music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rule — government
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. land — to come down
  13. bass — low music
  14. present — there
  15. season — of the year
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rule — a law
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. land — a country
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. land — ground

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