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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 120 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: wind · safe · chip · perch · pass · bulb · object · net

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. net — for catching
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wind — moving air
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. net — after costs
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bulb — for light
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. chip — for betting
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. net — in sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wind — to turn a key

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