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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. track — a path
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. can — a tin
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. bound — certain
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. track — a song
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. shower — to wash
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bound — obliged
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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