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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fine — all right
  6. bear — the animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rock — a stone
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bear — the animal
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rock — music
  24. racket — a loud noise

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