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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 124 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — finally
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. last — to go on
  12. bear — the animal
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bear — to put up with

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