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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fall — to drop
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fine — all right
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. roll — a list
  15. fine — high quality
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. fall — the season
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a football final

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