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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: safe · spell · last · scale · deal · bulb · jam · racket

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spell — a short time
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bulb — for light
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. last — final
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bulb — for light
  13. last — finally
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. scale — in music
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. last — to go on
  23. scale — size or range
  24. safe — a strongbox

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