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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. perch — the fish
  2. pop — music
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. charge — in control
  8. court — for sport
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pop — soda
  11. charge — a price
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. court — of law
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. charge — electricity
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pop — to visit
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. court — of a king
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  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