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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. perch — the fish
  4. kid — child
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mug — a cup
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. object — to protest
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. vault — a safe
  14. ball — a dance
  15. mug — a face
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. object — a thing
  18. mug — to rob
  19. object — an aim
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. racket — for tennis

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