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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: bass · land · can · rule · sharp · last · bulb · safe

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. rule — a law
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. can — a tin
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rule — government
  8. can — to be able to
  9. land — ground
  10. bulb — for light
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. can — a tin
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bass — low music
  15. last — to go on
  16. bass — the fish
  17. sharp — clever
  18. last — finally
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. last — final
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rule — to rule out

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