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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 116 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
468
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: deal · land · perch · bound · racket · mine · coach · safe

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bound — tied together
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. land — a country
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. land — ground
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bound — obliged
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bound — certain

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