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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: jam · bass · rest · wave · land · content · club · safe

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rest — a break
  3. land — to come down
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. rest — what's left
  6. content — the amount
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. land — ground
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bass — low music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. land — a country
  22. content — happy
  23. club — for dancing
  24. safe — out of danger

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