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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mug — a face
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mug — to rob
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mine — for digging
  12. staff — employees
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. scale — size or range
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mug — a cup
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. scale — in music

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