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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
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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: face · perch · bowl · mate · net · field · bulb · safe

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. field — farmland
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bulb — for light
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. net — in sport
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mate — a friend
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bulb — for light
  14. field — for sport
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. net — after costs
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. field — a subject
  19. face — to confront
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. perch — the fish

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