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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. firm — a company
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. firm — decided
  5. kick — in football
  6. mate — a friend
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. cue — a hint
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mate — to breed
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. firm — steady
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cue — for pool
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bowl — to roll

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