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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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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mark — a trace
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. spell — a short time
  18. perch — for a bird

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