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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.

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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mark — a grade
  7. perch — the fish
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rest — what's left
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rest — a break
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  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