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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: clip · key · perch · chip · track · jam · swing · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. clip — for paper
  5. key — in music
  6. track — to keep track
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. swing — to play on
  9. track — a path
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. swing — in golf
  12. perch — the fish
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. track — a song
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. clip — a video
  20. swing — music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. clip — to cut
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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