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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: wake · perch · bulb · rash · scale · ball · safe · chair

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ball — a great time
  7. scale — in music
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. chair — a leader
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rash — hasty
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rash — a series
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. perch — the fish
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wake — before a funeral

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