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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. firm — decided
  3. cell — a phone
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cue — for pool
  7. firm — a company
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cue — a signal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. firm — steady
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. scale — in music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. spell — letters
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. spell — magic

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