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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.

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: safe · nail · court · rock · prune · perch · club · stock

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rock — music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. court — for sport
  7. stock — shares
  8. prune — to trim
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. stock — goods
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. club — a group
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rock — a stone
  17. club — for golf
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. perch — the fish
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. nail — on a finger
  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