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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. firm — decided
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. land — to come down
  6. pop — soda
  7. firm — steady
  8. pop — to visit
  9. land — ground
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. club — a group
  13. perch — the fish
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. land — a country
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. firm — a company
  19. lean — thin
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pop — music
  24. lean — to bend

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