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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: date · pitch · safe · branch · spell · drill · chair · scale

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. drill — army training
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pitch — completely
  8. drill — a practice
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. drill — the tool
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. spell — magic
  14. chair — a leader
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. scale — in music
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. spell — a short time
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. branch — a division
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. spell — letters
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. chair — to sit on

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