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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — happy
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. ground — a position
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. perch — the fish
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ground — the earth
  24. nail — for a hammer

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