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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. wound — an injury
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pop — music
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. land — ground
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. land — to come down
  12. rock — music
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pop — soda
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. land — a country
  24. pop — to visit

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