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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: ruler · last · safe · stick · object · scale · cell · bass

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cell — in biology
  5. last — to go on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. object — an aim
  8. cell — a phone
  9. scale — size or range
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. object — to protest
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. scale — in music
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bass — low music
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. last — final
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. object — a thing

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