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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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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: roll · fork · calf · safe · scale · band · chair · bulb

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bulb — for light
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. roll — a cake
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. band — a ring
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. roll — a list
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. band — a music group
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. roll — on a 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