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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 120 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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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 · cue · pop · fork · vault · scale · race · squash

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pop — to visit
  3. race — humankind
  4. pop — soda
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pop — music
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. race — a contest
  9. scale — size or range
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. race — the arms race
  13. cue — a hint
  14. squash — the sport
  15. fork — in a road
  16. scale — in music
  17. vault — a safe
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. squash — to crush
  20. cue — a signal
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cue — for pool
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. safe — a strongbox

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