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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 120 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bulb — for light
  5. hand — in cards
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. key — the most important part
  9. perch — the fish
  10. key — for a lock
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mine — for digging
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chair — a leader
  18. key — in music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hand — help
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. racket — a loud noise

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