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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: fine · perch · net · charge · capital · stem · racket · safe

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. capital — money
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. net — for catching
  8. capital — a city
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. net — in sport
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. perch — the fish
  18. net — after costs
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stem — to come from
  24. fine — a penalty

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