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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: track · perch · mug · game · net · spring · safe · board

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. board — a committee
  3. mug — a cup
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. board — to get on
  6. track — to keep track
  7. game — a match
  8. spring — the season
  9. track — a song
  10. game — wild animals
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. track — a path
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. spring — a coil
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mug — to rob
  17. net — for catching
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. mug — a face
  23. perch — for a bird
  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