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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: perch · trunk · field · safe · kick · rest · saw · pitcher

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. saw — the tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. perch — the fish
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. field — for sport
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rest — what's left
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. saw — the tool
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. kick — with a leg

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