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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.

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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. snap — to click
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. court — for sport
  7. perch — the fish
  8. capital — money
  9. kid — child
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. capital — a city
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. suit — in cards
  17. kid — to tease
  18. suit — clothes
  19. court — of law
  20. squash — to crush
  21. suit — to fit
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. capital — a big letter
  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