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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. band — a ring
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pop — music
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. squash — the sport
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mate — to breed
  10. band — a music group
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chip — to eat
  15. ball — a dance
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pop — soda
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pop — to visit
  20. mate — a friend
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mate — a partner
  24. chip — for betting

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