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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: net · spring · scale · ball · fine · safe · current · cabinet

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fine — all right
  3. net — for catching
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. net — in sport
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. scale — in music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ball — a great time
  12. spring — the season
  13. current — happening now
  14. spring — a coil
  15. scale — size or range
  16. spring — of water
  17. ball — a dance
  18. current — of water
  19. net — after costs
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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