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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: sharp · safe · mug · perch · ball · stem · scale · trunk

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mug — a face
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. stem — to come from
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. scale — in music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. sharp — clever
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mug — a cup
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mug — to rob
  21. ball — a dance
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. perch — for a bird

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