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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kid · perch · safe · net · march · can · board · bark

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. perch — the fish
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. net — after costs
  7. can — a tin
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. net — in sport
  15. board — a committee
  16. net — for catching
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. board — to get on
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. march — the month
  23. bark — to shout
  24. kid — child

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