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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. perch — the fish
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. court — of a king
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. snap — to click
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rock — music
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. court — for sport
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. court — of law

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