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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 120 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: season · scale · object · land · kid · safe · pit · drill

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. drill — army training
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pit — in a race
  8. drill — the tool
  9. object — an aim
  10. season — of the year
  11. land — a country
  12. land — ground
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. object — to protest
  18. season — in sport
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. land — to come down
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. drill — a practice
  23. object — a thing
  24. scale — size or range

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