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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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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 · capital · straw · net · safe · mate · chip · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. net — for catching
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bank — for money
  5. capital — money
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. capital — a city
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chip — to eat
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. net — in sport
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mate — to breed
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. net — after costs
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bank — of a river

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