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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bank · shower · scale · court · drill · squash · pass

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. court — of a king
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bank — for money
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. shower — rain
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. squash — to crush
  15. scale — in music
  16. court — for sport
  17. scale — size or range
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bank — of a river
  21. court — of law
  22. drill — the tool
  23. shower — to wash
  24. drill — army training

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