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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: scale · safe · bore · mate · fine · land · cue · sharp

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — a country
  3. fine — high quality
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bore — to tire
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mate — a friend
  8. scale — size or range
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cue — for pool
  11. land — to come down
  12. mate — a partner
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fine — all right
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bore — to drill
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cue — a hint
  23. scale — in music
  24. fine — a penalty

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