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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wax — to grow
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chip — to eat
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. chip — for betting
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. game — wild animals
  18. mark — a trace
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wax — in the ear

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