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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bat — the animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ball — a great time
  24. sharp — exactly

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