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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cue — a hint
  4. spell — magic
  5. roll — a cake
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. perch — the fish
  11. land — a country
  12. cue — a signal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cue — for pool
  15. land — to come down
  16. roll — a list
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pop — soda
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. spell — letters
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. land — ground

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