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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: ball · ruler · band · straw · club · safe · mine · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. band — a music group
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mine — for digging
  10. club — for golf
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. club — for dancing
  18. ball — a dance
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. club — a group
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ball — a great time
  24. band — a ring

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