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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: pit · can · safe · chair · perch · kid · roll · branch

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. can — to be able to
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. perch — the fish
  6. branch — a division
  7. roll — a cake
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pit — in a race
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. kid — child
  14. chair — a leader
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. can — a tin
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pit — a hole
  23. roll — a list
  24. kid — to tease

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