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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. fork — in a road
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pop — soda
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pop — music
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cap — a lid
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bowl — to roll

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