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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: sharp · cell · swing · toast · scale · kid · safe · roll

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cell — in biology
  3. roll — a cake
  4. toast — bread
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. swing — music
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. kid — child
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — in golf
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. scale — in music
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cell — a phone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. scale — size or range
  23. kid — to tease
  24. sharp — clever

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