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

Word bank: perch · safe · present · degree · band · wave · racket · straw

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — there
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. degree — an amount
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. present — a gift
  11. band — a music group
  12. degree — temperature
  13. perch — the fish
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. degree — from a university
  18. band — a ring
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. racket — for tennis

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