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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wake — a trail
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. last — finally
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bound — tied together
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. court — for sport
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bound — certain
  21. can — a tin
  22. ball — a dance
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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