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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. track — a path
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. sharp — clever
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mate — to breed
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. mate — a friend
  14. track — a song
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mate — a partner
  18. dip — to sink
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. ball — a dance
  22. hand — help
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ball — a great time

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