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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: firm · scale · bat · key · cell · stand · season · safe

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. firm — a company
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. season — of the year
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. firm — steady
  7. cell — a phone
  8. scale — in music
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bat — the animal
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cell — in biology
  17. firm — decided
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. season — in sport
  23. key — in music
  24. stand — to bear

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