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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 120 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pop — soda
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. squash — to crush
  7. fall — the season
  8. pop — music
  9. can — a tin
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. can — to be able to
  13. perch — the fish
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. can — a tin
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. perch — for a bird

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