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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. net — in sport
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. perch — the fish
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. net — after costs
  17. firm — a company
  18. band — a ring
  19. court — for sport
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pit — in a race
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. band — a music group

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