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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: season · swing · bound · perch · foot · root · safe · date

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. swing — in golf
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. season — of the year
  6. bound — obliged
  7. foot — a measure
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. root — the cause
  11. perch — the fish
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. root — of a word
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. swing — music
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. season — in sport
  21. swing — to play on
  22. root — of a plant
  23. foot — part of the body
  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