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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. perch — the fish
  3. can — a tin
  4. squash — the sport
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. plane — a tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. field — for sport
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. can — a tin
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. field — a subject
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. squash — to crush
  22. can — to be able to
  23. field — farmland
  24. coach — a trainer

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