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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. squash — to crush
  4. deal — to handle
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. can — a tin
  7. pop — to visit
  8. rush — hurry
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pop — music
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pop — soda
  21. can — a tin
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. ground — a position

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