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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 120 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: plane · safe · stick · race · pit · charge · perch · key

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pit — in a race
  3. key — in music
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. charge — a price
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. perch — the fish
  10. charge — in control
  11. race — humankind
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. key — for a lock
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. race — the arms race
  18. plane — a tool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. race — a contest
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pit — a hole

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