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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bear — the animal
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. ball — a dance
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ball — a great time
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. chip — for betting
  24. perch — for a bird

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