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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: perch · ground · safe · branch · prune · chair · fine · content

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. fine — all right
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ground — the earth
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ground — a position
  12. branch — a division
  13. perch — the fish
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ground — crushed
  16. chair — a leader
  17. content — the amount
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. content — happy
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. fine — high quality

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