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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · firm · bay · bowl · perch · cell

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. firm — steady
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. firm — a company
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. cell — in biology
  16. firm — decided
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. 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