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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: band · perch · game · safe · net · sharp · ball · key

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. net — after costs
  3. band — a ring
  4. key — for a lock
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. net — in sport
  8. game — a match
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. game — wild animals
  14. net — for catching
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. perch — the fish
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ball — a dance

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