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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: scale · bowl · capital · cell · craft · safe · fall · calf

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. capital — money
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. scale — in music
  5. capital — a city
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fall — to drop
  8. craft — boats
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. cell — in biology
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. scale — size or range
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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