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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wax — to grow
  7. squash — the sport
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. content — the amount
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. squash — to crush
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. bat — for baseball

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