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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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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: wound · safe · chair · deal · ball · scale · craft · swing

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ball — a great time
  3. swing — music
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. scale — in music
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. chair — a leader
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ball — a dance
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. scale — size or range
  23. craft — boats
  24. scale — for weighing

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