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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. suit — in cards
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fall — the season
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mate — a friend
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. perch — the fish
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mate — to breed
  20. roll — a list
  21. scale — size or range
  22. suit — to fit
  23. roll — a cake
  24. pitcher — a jug

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