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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. ball — a great time
  3. perch — the fish
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. land — ground
  8. saw — the tool
  9. suit — in cards
  10. land — to come down
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. suit — to fit
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. suit — clothes
  20. land — a country
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. spring — a coil
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. saw — the tool

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