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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: root · last · pass · safe · cap · scale · mouse · cold

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pass — a permit
  3. last — finally
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. last — final
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cold — not warm
  12. root — of a word
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cap — a lid
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. scale — in music
  23. last — to go on
  24. pass — to spend time

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