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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. perch — the fish
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. present — the time now
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. scale — in music
  8. chair — a leader
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. mark — a grade
  12. present — a gift
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. kick — in football
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. present — there
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. scale — size or range
  24. wake — before a funeral

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