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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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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: pit · bound · track · rush · last · scale · perch · safe

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. last — final
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bound — certain
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. last — finally
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. track — a path
  22. scale — size or range
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pit — in a race

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