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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 120 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: safe · hand · trunk · net · club · perch · mark · stick

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. hand — help
  2. net — after costs
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. perch — the fish
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. club — for dancing
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. club — a group
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. net — in sport
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. net — for catching
  20. club — for golf
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mark — a trace
  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