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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 120 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. can — a tin
  4. perch — the fish
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rash — a series
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. scale — in music
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. can — a tin

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