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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. game — a match
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. charge — in control
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mate — a partner
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. charge — a price
  15. pop — music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pop — soda
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. game — a kind of play

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