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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. court — of law
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rush — hurry
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. game — wild animals
  10. perch — the fish
  11. court — of a king
  12. band — a music group
  13. court — for sport
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. rush — to hurry

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