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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rush — hurry
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. can — a tin
  10. perch — the fish
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. can — a tin
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. club — for golf
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. perch — for a bird

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