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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mate — a friend
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mate — to breed
  10. deal — to handle
  11. track — a song
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. club — for golf
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. club — a group
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. track — to keep track
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mate — a partner
  23. track — a path
  24. mouse — the animal

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