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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. content — happy
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. kid — child
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. content — the amount
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. kid — to tease
  22. mark — a grade
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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