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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: ground · jam · pound · season · chest · perch · safe · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. 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. plane — in geometry
  2. chest — of your body
  3. season — in sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ground — a position
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. ground — crushed
  10. perch — the fish
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. ground — the earth
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. chest — of your body
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. pound — a weight
  21. season — of the year
  22. chest — a box
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. 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