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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 116 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: pound · key · bulb · hand · trunk · fine · safe · scale

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fine — all right
  4. key — in music
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bulb — for light
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. key — the most important part
  20. scale — in music
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pound — a weight
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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