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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. club — a group
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. deal — to handle
  12. row — a line
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. row — to paddle
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rush — hurry
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. club — for dancing
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. club — for golf

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