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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. roll — a list
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. chest — of your body
  9. craft — boats
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. craft — a skill
  15. roll — a cake
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. chest — a box
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fine — all right

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