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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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. mate — a friend
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pop — soda
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wax — to grow
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. capital — money
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mate — to breed
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. capital — a city
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. trunk — of a car

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