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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: scale · rock · rash · content · bulb · mouse · cap · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cap — of ice
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. rash — hasty
  9. content — the amount
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. cap — a lid
  15. scale — in music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rash — a series
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. content — happy
  24. cap — a hat

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