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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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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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. safe — out of danger
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. roll — a cake
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ground — crushed
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pound — a weight
  13. ground — the earth
  14. race — a contest
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. ground — a position
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. roll — a list
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. race — the arms race
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. race — humankind
  24. perch — the fish

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