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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: perch · can · season · chip · mine · last · rule · safe

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. last — to go on
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. last — finally
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. can — to be able to
  17. season — in sport
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. season — of the year
  21. mine — for digging
  22. chip — to eat
  23. perch — the fish
  24. last — final

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