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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. mate — a friend
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. object — to protest
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. track — a path
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mine — for digging
  20. rush — hurry
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mouse — the animal

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