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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 · perch · bound · ground · can · rash · scale · prune

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bound — certain
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rash — a series
  10. bound — obliged
  11. ground — a position
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. prune — to trim
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — the earth
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bound — tied together
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rash — hasty
  24. safe — out of danger

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