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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mug — to rob
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mug — a face
  6. cue — a hint
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cue — for pool
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. object — to protest
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rash — a series
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. ball — a great time
  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