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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.

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: court · can · safe · perch · wake · firm · fall · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. court — of law
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. court — for sport
  7. fall — to drop
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. can — to be able to
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. can — a tin
  13. fall — to drop
  14. court — of a king
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. net — in sport
  18. firm — steady
  19. can — a tin
  20. wake — a trail
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fall — the season
  23. net — for catching
  24. perch — the fish

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