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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 116 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. perch — the fish
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. scale — in music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. march — music
  10. court — of a king
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. scale — size or range
  13. court — of law
  14. cue — for pool
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cue — a signal
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. cue — a hint
  24. court — for sport

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