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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — music
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. ball — a dance
  12. firm — steady
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rule — government
  15. pop — soda
  16. perch — the fish
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ball — a great time
  20. game — wild animals
  21. firm — a company
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pop — to visit
  24. firm — decided

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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