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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: bound · bear · perch · row · stock · pit · safe · kick

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. stock — shares
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bear — the animal
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. kick — in football
  10. bound — tied together
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stock — goods
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. row — a line
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bound — obliged
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bear — the animal
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bound — certain
  24. pit — a hole

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