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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: race · pound · chip · stick · perch · safe · date · rash

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chip — to eat
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. race — the arms race
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pound — a weight
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rash — hasty
  13. race — a contest
  14. chip — for betting
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. race — humankind
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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