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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: safe · bass · pit · hide · trunk · toast · scale · content

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bass — the fish
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pit — a hole
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. scale — in music
  11. content — the amount
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. content — happy
  15. bass — low music
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. toast — bread
  21. scale — size or range
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pit — in a race

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