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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 116 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 · wake · ball · firm · wave · saw · net · scale

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. firm — steady
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. firm — decided
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. net — for catching
  23. firm — a company
  24. ball — a dance

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