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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. perch — the fish
  6. scale — size or range
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. key — in music
  9. court — for sport
  10. row — a line
  11. pass — a permit
  12. court — of a king
  13. key — the most important part
  14. court — of law
  15. bat — the animal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. key — for a lock
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. row — to paddle

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