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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: perch · safe · ball · straw · trunk · scale · hand · bat

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. scale — in music
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. ball — a great time
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bat — the animal
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. scale — size or range
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. safe — out of danger
  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