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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. spell — a short time
  7. ball — a great time
  8. sharp — clever
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rash — a series
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. perch — the fish
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rash — hasty
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

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