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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rock — music
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rock — a stone
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. perch — the fish
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wind — moving air
  20. game — a match
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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