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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: shower · perch · safe · pop · firm · season · fork · chest

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. firm — decided
  3. chest — of your body
  4. firm — a company
  5. pop — soda
  6. chest — a box
  7. season — in sport
  8. shower — rain
  9. pop — music
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fork — in a road
  19. shower — to wash
  20. firm — steady
  21. pop — to visit
  22. season — of the year
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fork — a garden tool

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