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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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. chip — in a computer
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pop — music
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wind — moving air
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pop — to visit
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pop — soda
  19. stock — shares
  20. perch — the fish
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stock — goods

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