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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.

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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: safe · scale · race · mug · straw · row · pass · court

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. race — the arms race
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. mug — a cup
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. court — of law
  15. mug — a face
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — a contest
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pass — a permit
  20. row — a line
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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