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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: ground · cue · clip · craft · perch · safe · calf · board

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cue — for pool
  5. ground — a position
  6. board — a committee
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. clip — to cut
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. clip — a video
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. clip — for paper
  15. perch — the fish
  16. craft — boats
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cue — a hint
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. board — to get on
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. craft — a skill

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