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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. staff — employees
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ball — a great time
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. drill — army training
  7. land — a country
  8. staff — a stick
  9. ball — a dance
  10. staff — employees
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. drill — the tool
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. drill — a practice
  21. land — to come down
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. land — ground

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