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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: game · safe · spell · bank · cap · scale · net · calf

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. net — after costs
  6. spell — magic
  7. game — a match
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cap — a lid
  10. scale — in music
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. bank — for money
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. cap — of ice
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. scale — size or range
  22. game — wild animals
  23. cap — a hat
  24. calf — a young animal

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