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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 116 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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. court — for sport
  5. shower — rain
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mark — a trace
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. shower — to wash
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rock — a stone
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mark — a grade

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