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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. sharp — clever
  8. ball — a great time
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. chair — a leader
  12. craft — boats
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. ball — a dance
  18. craft — a skill
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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