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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. perch — the fish
  8. ground — a position
  9. content — happy
  10. ground — crushed
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pop — to visit
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. content — the amount
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bear — the animal

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