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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · safe · fan · perch · ball · band · staff · spell

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. ball — a dance
  4. staff — employees
  5. band — a ring
  6. spell — magic
  7. band — a music group
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. chip — to eat
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ball — a great time
  15. spell — a short time
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. spell — letters
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. perch — the fish
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  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