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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. snap — to click
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pop — music
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. current — happening now
  19. bear — the animal
  20. current — of water
  21. pop — to visit
  22. current — electric
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pop — soda

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