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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: safe · bass · hide · scale · roll · trunk · firm · court

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. roll — a list
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. firm — decided
  8. court — for sport
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. roll — a cake
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. court — of a king
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. scale — in music
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. court — of law
  18. bass — low music
  19. firm — a company
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bass — the fish
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. firm — steady

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