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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 120 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 · root · pitcher · last · bound · rule · rash · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. last — finally
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. last — final
  5. rash — a series
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bound — certain
  13. rule — a law
  14. rash — hasty
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rule — government
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bass — low music
  20. last — to go on
  21. root — the cause
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. root — of a word
  24. bass — the instrument

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