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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 · scale · bay · tube · nail · bowl · jam · pitcher

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. tube — a container
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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