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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fine — high quality
  4. deal — to handle
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. can — a tin
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. can — a tin
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. file — a document
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mine — for digging
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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