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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — happy
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. perch — the fish
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lean — to bend
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lean — thin
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. club — a group
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. content — videos and posts
  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