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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mine — for digging
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mark — a grade
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. chest — a box
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bear — the animal
  13. land — a country
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bear — the animal
  22. land — to come down
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. land — ground

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