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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. kick — in football
  3. perch — the fish
  4. track — a path
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. toast — bread
  7. track — a song
  8. suit — clothes
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wake — a trail
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rush — hurry
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. track — to keep track
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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