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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mate — a friend
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mate — a partner
  8. squash — to crush
  9. spring — of water
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. net — in sport
  12. ball — a great time
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. spring — a coil
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. perch — the fish
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. squash — the sport
  19. mate — to breed
  20. vault — a safe
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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