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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. can — to be able to
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mine — for digging
  9. snap — to click
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. perch — the fish
  12. content — happy
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. can — a tin
  17. content — the amount
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. can — a tin
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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