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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · club · cabinet · object · pop · bowl · mine · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. object — to protest
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. club — for dancing
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pop — to visit
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. fine — all right
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. object — a thing
  15. pop — music
  16. club — for golf
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. object — an aim
  19. pop — soda
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. club — a group
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fine — high quality

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