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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. race — a contest
  8. net — after costs
  9. present — a gift
  10. court — of law
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. present — there
  14. perch — the fish
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. court — for sport
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. present — the time now
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. court — of a king
  22. net — for catching
  23. race — humankind
  24. track — a path

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