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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pit — a hole
  3. perch — the fish
  4. spell — a short time
  5. roll — a cake
  6. court — of a king
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. spell — letters
  10. court — for sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. object — a thing
  14. roll — a list
  15. spell — magic
  16. object — to protest
  17. court — of law
  18. can — a tin
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pit — in a race
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. can — to be able to
  24. object — an aim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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