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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 120 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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. wax — to grow
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. squash — to crush
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. shower — to wash
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. saw — the tool
  18. club — for golf
  19. shower — rain
  20. stand — to bear
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. perch — the fish

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