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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
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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: ball · perch · spell · patient · squash · mouse · racket · safe

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. spell — letters
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ball — a dance
  10. squash — the sport
  11. spell — a short time
  12. ball — a great time
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. spell — magic
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mouse — for a computer

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