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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: fork · swing · degree · rest · scale · straw · can · safe

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. can — to be able to
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. degree — from a university
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rest — a break
  14. degree — an amount
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rest — what's left
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rest — what's left
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. scale — in music
  23. degree — temperature
  24. can — a tin

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