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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mate — a partner
  5. net — in sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. staff — a stick
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. net — for catching
  10. land — to come down
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. land — a country
  15. mate — a friend
  16. land — ground
  17. perch — the fish
  18. staff — employees
  19. net — after costs
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mate — to breed
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. staff — employees

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