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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: safe · perch · bay · date · bass · stand · cell · pit

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. perch — the fish
  5. date — the fruit
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. cell — in biology
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bass — the instrument

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