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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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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 · snap · race · court · fine · pitch · face · safe

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. race — the arms race
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. face — to confront
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. perch — the fish
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to click
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. fine — all right
  14. pitch — completely
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. race — humankind
  18. court — of a king
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. face — part of the head
  21. court — of law
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. court — for sport
  24. race — a contest

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