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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.

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: rush · safe · perch · tube · racket · pop · chest · mark

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mark — a trace
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pop — music
  6. rush — hurry
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pop — soda
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pop — to visit
  20. chest — of your body
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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