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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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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: dip · tear · safe · scale · pound · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. tear — to rip
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. scale — in music

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