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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mark — a grade
  7. last — to go on
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. last — final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mark — a trace
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. scale — in music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. last — finally
  20. perch — the fish
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bear — the animal

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