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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. file — a tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. file — a document
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bat — the animal
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. game — a match
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bulb — for light
  16. toast — bread
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. game — wild animals
  24. safe — out of danger

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