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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.

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: bat · scale · safe · club · rule · perch · dip · game

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. game — a match
  4. club — a group
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rule — a law
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bat — the animal
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. club — for golf
  21. game — wild animals
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rule — government
  24. club — for dancing

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