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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. perch — the fish
  7. court — for sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. court — of law
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mine — for digging
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. plane — a tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fork — in a road
  24. temple — a place of worship

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