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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 116 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: spring · scale · ball · mate · land · bulb · pound · safe

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pound — a weight
  3. mate — a friend
  4. scale — size or range
  5. spring — the season
  6. mate — a partner
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bulb — for light
  9. land — a country
  10. ball — a great time
  11. spring — of water
  12. mate — to breed
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. spring — a coil
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bulb — for light
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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