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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. perch — the fish
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. rash — a series
  4. cue — a signal
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cell — in biology
  9. rock — music
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rash — hasty
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. perch — for a bird
  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