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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: squash · game · track · drill · ball · sharp · perch · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. perch — the fish
  5. track — a path
  6. drill — a practice
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. track — a song
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. drill — the tool
  12. ball — a dance
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lean — thin
  15. squash — to crush
  16. ball — a great time
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. drill — army training
  19. game — a match
  20. sharp — clever
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. game — wild animals
  24. squash — the sport

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