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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · perch · clip · net · lie · swing · court · pitcher

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. court — for sport
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. clip — for paper
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. court — of a king
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. net — after costs
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. perch — the fish
  12. net — in sport
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. swing — music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. net — for catching
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. court — of law
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. lie — to recline

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