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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 116 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. present — the time now
  4. land — ground
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ball — a dance
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. present — a gift
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. land — to come down
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. present — there
  21. cue — a signal
  22. perch — the fish
  23. land — a country
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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