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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pop — music
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. foot — a measure
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pop — to visit
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rash — a series
  18. pop — soda
  19. bear — the animal
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. tube — a container
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. rash — hasty

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