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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: pop · perch · stick · bowl · face · mouse · sharp · race

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. face — to confront
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — music
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. sharp — clever
  15. race — humankind
  16. pop — soda
  17. race — a contest
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. face — part of the head
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. 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