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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. court — of law
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pound — a weight
  7. court — for sport
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. hand — help
  12. perch — the fish
  13. net — for catching
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. net — in sport
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. net — after costs
  19. rock — a stone
  20. hand — in cards
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rock — music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. court — of a king

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