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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 116 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
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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: bulb · sharp · content · safe · track · rush · bass · march

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. rush — hurry
  3. track — a path
  4. march — the month
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. content — the amount
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bulb — for light
  16. content — happy
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bass — the fish
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. march — music
  22. bass — low music
  23. march — the month
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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