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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 120 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: safe · band · bulb · perch · ball · land · pass · hand

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bulb — for light
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. land — to come down
  9. perch — the fish
  10. hand — help
  11. land — a country
  12. land — ground
  13. band — a ring
  14. ball — a dance
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bulb — for light
  18. band — a music group
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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