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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: scale · racket · ball · hide · deal · safe · kid · bear

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ball — a dance
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bear — the animal
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. scale — size or range
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. deal — to handle
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ball — a great time
  21. scale — in music
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. scale — for weighing

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