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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: last · spring · safe · arm · stick · scale · tube · pit

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. scale — in music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. last — final
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. tube — the underground
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. tube — a container
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. spring — the season
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. last — finally
  16. spring — a coil
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. scale — size or range
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pit — in a race
  22. last — to go on
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pit — a hole

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