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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: last · pass · scale · bark · firm · foot · mate · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. firm — decided
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pass — a permit
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. last — final
  10. firm — a company
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. scale — in music
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. firm — steady
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. last — finally
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mate — to breed
  19. last — to go on
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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