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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · racket · chip · saw · fan · snap · safe · mark

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. scale — in music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. saw — the tool
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. chip — to eat
  10. saw — the tool
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mark — a grade
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. mark — a trace
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chip — for betting
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. snap — to click

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