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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: rest · stem · pit · safe · track · perch · fork · cold

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. cold — not warm
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cold — an illness
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rest — a break
  24. safe — out of danger

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