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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 · bound · ball · field · scale · rash · plane · charge

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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. charge — a price
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bound — tied together
  7. field — a subject
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. ball — a great time
  12. field — farmland
  13. plane — a tool
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ball — a dance
  16. charge — in control
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bound — certain
  19. scale — size or range
  20. charge — electricity
  21. field — for sport
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rash — a series

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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