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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. perch — the fish
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. object — to protest
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. object — a thing
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. content — the amount
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bulb — for light
  18. content — happy

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