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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. kick — in football
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pop — soda
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pop — music
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. perch — the fish
  20. chair — a leader
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. tube — the underground
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. tube — a container

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