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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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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: bowl · rest · safe · pound · perch · chair

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. rest — a break
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chair — a leader
  14. perch — the fish
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rest — what's left
  18. perch — for a bird

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