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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. ball — a dance
  5. chip — for betting
  6. spring — the season
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. can — to be able to
  9. spring — of water
  10. land — a country
  11. chip — to eat
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. land — ground
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ball — a great time
  18. land — to come down
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. can — a tin
  21. spring — a coil
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bass — 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