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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.

Make a worksheet

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: net · perch · squash · rule · safe · bear · ground · land

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. rule — a law
  6. net — after costs
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rule — government
  10. bear — the animal
  11. land — to come down
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ground — crushed
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. ground — the earth
  16. land — a country
  17. perch — the fish
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. ground — a position
  21. squash — the sport
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. land — ground
  24. safe — a strongbox

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