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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rash — a series
  3. board — to get on
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mark — a trace
  9. perch — the fish
  10. board — a committee
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rash — hasty
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. scale — in music
  20. mark — a grade
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. perch — for a bird

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