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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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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 · safe · chest · club · pit · craft · jam · mark

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. club — for dancing
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. craft — a skill
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pit — in a race
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. mark — a grade
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. perch — the fish
  13. chest — of your body
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. pit — a hole
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. craft — boats
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. chest — a box
  24. perch — for a bird

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