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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. club — a group
  4. can — to be able to
  5. club — for golf
  6. hand — help
  7. perch — the fish
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. can — a tin
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. club — for dancing
  13. ball — a great time
  14. court — for sport
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. can — a tin
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. hand — in cards
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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