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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: chip · degree · clip · pass · perch · bowl · cabinet · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. degree — temperature
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. clip — to cut
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. perch — the fish
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — from a university
  21. clip — a video
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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