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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: tube · date · board · cap · pit · scale · snap · safe

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pit — a hole
  7. tube — the underground
  8. board — to get on
  9. date — the fruit
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. tube — a container
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. cap — a hat
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. snap — to click
  18. cap — of ice
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. scale — in music
  21. pit — in a race
  22. board — a committee
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. scale — size or range

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