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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. shower — to wash
  6. perch — the fish
  7. chip — for betting
  8. ball — a dance
  9. object — an aim
  10. shower — rain
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. band — a music group
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. chip — to eat
  17. object — a thing
  18. kid — to tease
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kid — child
  21. ball — a great time
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. safe — out of danger

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