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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. perch — the fish
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. branch — a division
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. net — after costs
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mark — a grade
  18. ball — a great time
  19. net — in sport
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. net — for catching
  22. cue — a hint
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wax — to grow

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