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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 116 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: suit · key · perch · court · spell · safe · race · content

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. content — happy
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. key — in music
  8. race — the arms race
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spell — a short time
  11. suit — in cards
  12. race — a contest
  13. spell — letters
  14. perch — the fish
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. content — the amount
  17. race — humankind
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. key — for a lock
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. key — the most important part
  24. spell — magic

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