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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: pound · roll · safe · pitch · date · swing · scale · jam

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. scale — in music
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. roll — a list
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. roll — a cake
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pitch — completely
  23. date — the fruit
  24. swing — in golf

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