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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. track — a path
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fine — all right

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