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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: spring · safe · bat · court · scale · foot · fine · cap

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. cap — of ice
  3. spring — of water
  4. cap — a lid
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. court — of law
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cap — a hat
  10. scale — in music
  11. spring — the season
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. fine — all right
  20. spring — a coil
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of a king

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