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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: key · pit · fall · safe · bear · scale · object · shower

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. shower — rain
  5. bear — the animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. key — for a lock
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. fall — to drop
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. object — a thing
  14. fall — to drop
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. shower — to wash
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. fall — the season
  23. bear — the animal
  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