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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 · pitch · stem · safe · suit · fine · can · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fine — all right
  4. kid — to tease
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. fine — high quality
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stem — to come from
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. suit — in cards
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitch — completely
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. perch — the fish
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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