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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. lean — to bend
  6. chair — a leader
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. capital — money
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mate — to breed
  12. lean — thin
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mate — a friend
  15. capital — a city
  16. game — a match
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mate — a partner
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. lean — to rest against

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