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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.

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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: spring · perch · court · craft · pitcher · safe · sharp · ball

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. craft — boats
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. spring — of water
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. court — of a king
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. spring — a coil
  16. sharp — clever
  17. spring — the season
  18. court — for sport
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. craft — a skill
  23. ball — a dance
  24. court — of law

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