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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: squash · current · net · safe · tear · mine · scale · hand

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. squash — the sport
  10. current — electric
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. scale — size or range
  14. net — after costs
  15. hand — in cards
  16. net — in sport
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. net — for catching
  21. hand — help
  22. squash — to crush
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mine — for digging

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