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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 120 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: racket · row · bat · court · game · spell · lie · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spell — a short time
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. bat — the animal
  6. court — of a king
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. spell — magic
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lie — to recline
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. game — a match
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. spell — letters

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