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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 116 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hand — help
  3. fine — all right
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. court — of a king
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. hand — in cards
  9. lean — to bend
  10. perch — the fish
  11. track — a path
  12. lean — thin
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. court — for sport
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. court — of law
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. track — a song

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