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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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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: perch · cap · kid · land · bank · safe · craft · bulb

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bulb — for light
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bank — of a river
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. land — to come down
  14. kid — child
  15. land — ground
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. kid — to tease
  18. craft — boats
  19. land — a country
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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