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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: game · dip · safe · court · leaves · chip · perch · temple

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. court — for sport
  3. chip — to eat
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. court — of a king
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chip — for betting
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. perch — the fish
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. game — wild animals
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. dip — to sink
  22. court — of law
  23. game — a match
  24. temple — a place of worship

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