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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. court — for sport
  5. ground — a position
  6. board — to get on
  7. court — of a king
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bore — to tire
  11. ball — a great time
  12. court — of law
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — a committee
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bore — to drill
  21. ground — crushed
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ground — the earth

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