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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: perch · pound · current · game · court · deal · safe · file

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. court — for sport
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. game — wild animals
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. file — a line of people
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. current — happening now
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. game — a match
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pound — a weight
  19. current — of water
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. current — electric
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. safe — out of danger

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