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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: row · staff · spell · net · date · board · perch · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spell — letters
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. staff — employees
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. staff — a stick
  8. net — in sport
  9. board — a committee
  10. spell — magic
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. spell — a short time
  14. board — to get on
  15. perch — the fish
  16. net — after costs
  17. staff — employees
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. row — a line
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. net — for catching
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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