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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.

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: perch · safe · scale · cold · jam · board · squash · tube

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. tube — a container
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cold — an illness
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cold — not warm
  11. board — to get on
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. tube — the underground
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. perch — the fish
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. 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