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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. roll — a list
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rule — government
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bass — low music
  11. rock — music
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. kick — in football
  14. plane — a tool
  15. perch — the fish
  16. roll — a cake
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rule — a law
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bass — the fish

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