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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.

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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: safe · tube · perch · court · cabinet · wound · root · racket

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wound — an injury
  6. court — for sport
  7. tube — the underground
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. tube — a container
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. root — the cause
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. perch — the fish
  21. court — of law
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. root — of a word
  24. racket — a loud noise

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