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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pop — music
  3. can — to be able to
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pop — to visit
  7. staff — a stick
  8. pop — soda
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — for paper
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. can — a tin
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. squash — to crush
  19. can — a tin
  20. staff — employees
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. perch — the fish
  23. ball — a great time
  24. squash — the sport

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