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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mug — a cup
  3. ball — a great time
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hand — help
  6. drill — a practice
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. drill — army training
  11. mug — a face
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. drill — the tool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — in football
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mug — to rob
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. ball — a round shape

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