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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: mine · pit · cap · safe · pop · perch · bear · file

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. file — a document
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bear — the animal
  10. file — a tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cap — of ice
  19. file — a line of people
  20. pop — soda
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pop — music
  24. cap — a hat

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