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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: chair · scale · rest · chip · safe · bass · wound · swing

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. wound — an injury
  4. scale — in music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bass — the fish
  7. rest — what's left
  8. swing — music
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. swing — to play on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. swing — in golf
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bass — low music
  17. rest — a break
  18. scale — size or range
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rest — what's left
  24. chair — a leader

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