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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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. squash — to crush
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mark — a grade
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. court — for sport
  10. mate — a partner
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. present — there
  13. saw — the tool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. court — of law
  18. saw — the tool
  19. present — the time now
  20. court — of a king
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mark — a trace
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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