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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 116 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: fan · stick · saw · bat · safe · tube · perch · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bat — the animal
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. tube — a container
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tube — the underground
  14. perch — the fish
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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