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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pop — to visit
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. net — in sport
  7. plane — a tool
  8. net — for catching
  9. pop — music
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fork — in a road
  14. ball — a great time
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ball — a dance
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. perch — the fish
  19. club — for dancing
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pop — soda
  22. club — for golf
  23. net — after costs
  24. club — a group

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