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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: perch · safe · march · fine · shower · foot · court · game

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. march — the month
  3. court — for sport
  4. game — wild animals
  5. march — music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. march — the month
  9. foot — a measure
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fine — high quality
  13. shower — to wash
  14. court — of a king
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. perch — the fish
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. court — of law
  24. game — a match

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