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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.

Make a worksheet

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: swing · safe · toast · scale · rock · cabinet · mine · net

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. net — after costs
  4. rock — music
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. swing — in golf
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. swing — to play on
  9. scale — size or range
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. toast — bread
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. net — for catching
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. net — in sport
  20. swing — music
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rock — a stone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. scale — in music

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