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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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. bowl — a football final
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. key — in music
  9. vault — a safe
  10. content — happy
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. dip — to sink
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. content — the amount

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