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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: fine · bass · safe · perch · date · can · clip · calf

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. perch — the fish
  3. clip — to cut
  4. fine — high quality
  5. clip — for paper
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bass — low music
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bass — the fish
  23. fine — all right
  24. clip — a video

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