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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.

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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 · pit · chair · ball · cabinet · kick · safe · band

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pit — a hole
  7. band — a music group
  8. ball — a dance
  9. chair — a leader
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pit — in a race
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. kick — in football
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. band — a ring
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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