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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 116 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. club — a group
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. perch — the fish
  15. court — of law
  16. bat — the animal
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pit — in a race
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bat — for baseball

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