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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mark — a grade
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. game — wild animals
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mark — a trace
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. game — a match
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pop — music
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. perch — the fish

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