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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: ball · safe · rule · capital · bass · mouse · scale · stand

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. ball — a dance
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rule — government
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. rule — a law
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. capital — a city
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. scale — in music
  20. capital — money
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bass — low music
  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