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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: object · safe · roll · fork · bound · rule · scale · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. object — a thing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rule — government
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rule — a law
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. object — to protest
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. object — an aim
  19. fork — in a road
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. scale — in music
  24. bound — tied together

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