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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pound — a weight
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pop — soda
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. sharp — clever
  9. scale — in music
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. scale — size or range
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pop — music
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. perch — for a bird

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