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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · patient · safe · suit · court · perch · pit · saw

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. saw — the tool
  5. perch — the fish
  6. prune — to trim
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pit — in a race
  9. court — for sport
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. suit — to fit
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. suit — in cards
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. prune — to trim
  18. court — of a king
  19. pit — a hole
  20. suit — clothes
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. court — of law
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. saw — the tool

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