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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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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: perch · chair · suit · safe · shower · chip · snap · pitcher

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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 — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. suit — to fit
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — in cards
  16. shower — to wash
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. snap — to click
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — rain
  24. chair — a leader

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