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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. band — a music group
  4. sharp — clever
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. vault — a safe
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. present — a gift
  10. kick — in football
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. present — there
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. present — the time now
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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