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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.

Make a worksheet

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 it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. game — a match
  7. court — for sport
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. march — the month
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. perch — the fish
  21. court — of a king
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. court — of law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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