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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.

Make a worksheet

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: scale · safe · wake · perch · cue · date

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. perch — the fish
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. scale — size or range
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. date — the fruit
  18. perch — for a bird

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