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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. land — to come down
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. ball — a great time
  9. last — to go on
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. last — final
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. land — a country
  17. last — finally
  18. kid — child
  19. perch — the fish
  20. kid — to tease
  21. fork — in a road
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. land — ground
  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