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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mark — a grade
  8. land — ground
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. land — to come down
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. roll — a list
  16. saw — the tool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. saw — the tool
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mark — a trace
  24. land — a country

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