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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 120 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ball — a great time
  3. row — to paddle
  4. fine — all right
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mate — to breed
  7. key — for a lock
  8. can — to be able to
  9. stock — shares
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. can — a tin
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stock — goods
  15. can — a tin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mate — a partner
  18. ball — a dance
  19. row — a line
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mate — a friend
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fine — high quality

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