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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: foot · fine · safe · stick · squash · roll · date · scale

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. date — the fruit
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. squash — to crush
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fine — all right
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. scale — size or range
  10. squash — the sport
  11. roll — a list
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. roll — a cake
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. scale — in music
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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