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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 120 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: scale · mouse · kid · mine · bark · stand · safe · snap

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stand — to bear
  7. snap — to click
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. kid — child
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bark — to shout
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. scale — in music
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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