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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bulb — for light
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. court — for sport
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. court — of law
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. saw — the tool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mate — a partner
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. court — of a king
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. saw — the tool

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