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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. snap — to click
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. ball — a great time
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. ground — a position
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bark — to shout
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ball — a dance
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. arm — part of the body

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