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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rock — music
  7. ground — a position
  8. rock — a stone
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. can — a tin
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. toast — bread
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. can — a tin
  24. wave — of the sea

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