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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rock — a stone
  5. suit — clothes
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rock — music
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bat — the animal
  24. foot — a measure

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