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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.

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: safe · scale · present · band · march · cabinet · ground · mouse

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. scale — in music
  5. ground — a position
  6. march — music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. present — the time now
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. present — there
  13. march — the month
  14. band — a music group
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. ground — crushed
  21. band — a ring
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. march — the month

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