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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. spell — letters
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. spell — magic
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pitch — completely
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. capital — a city
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mug — a face
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. capital — money
  24. mouse — for a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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