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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 116 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: safe · ground · perch · kid · board · mark · can · cue

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. can — to be able to
  3. ground — crushed
  4. perch — the fish
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cue — for pool
  9. kid — to tease
  10. can — a tin
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. kid — child
  13. ground — the earth
  14. board — a committee
  15. ground — a position
  16. cue — a signal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mark — a grade
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. board — to get on
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. can — a tin
  24. cue — a hint

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