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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  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. rest — a break
  2. kick — in football
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. present — a gift
  5. mug — a face
  6. ground — a position
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ground — crushed
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mug — a cup
  16. squash — the sport
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rest — what's left
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. kick — with a leg
  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