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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · pit · fan · perch · safe · bass · field · coach

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. field — a subject
  11. pit — a hole
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bass — low music
  18. field — farmland
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pit — in a race
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. field — for sport

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