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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: field · branch · perch · stem · fine · safe · dip · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  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. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. field — farmland
  5. branch — a division
  6. fine — high quality
  7. kid — to tease
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fine — all right
  12. dip — to sink
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stem — to come from
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. perch — the fish
  19. field — a subject
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. kid — child
  23. field — for sport
  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