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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: patient · race · safe · fine · date · trunk · bass · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fine — high quality
  5. race — the arms race
  6. date — the fruit
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bass — the fish
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fine — all right
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bass — low music
  24. trunk — of a car

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