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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 124 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rush — hurry
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. craft — boats
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pass — a permit
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. perch — the fish
  15. craft — a skill
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ball — a dance
  23. band — a music group
  24. mouse — the animal

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