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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. net — in sport
  11. court — for sport
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fine — all right
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. court — of a king
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fine — high quality
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pit — a hole
  20. craft — boats
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. court — of law
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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