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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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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: scale · swing · tear · pit · safe · snap · kid · foot

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. swing — to play on
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tear — from crying
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pit — a hole
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. snap — to click
  10. foot — a measure
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. kid — child
  13. swing — in golf
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pit — in a race
  18. swing — music
  19. scale — in music
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. scale — size or range
  22. tear — to rip
  23. kid — to tease
  24. safe — out of danger

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