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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 120 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.

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 · dip · bat · perch · pop · club · mouse · safe

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. club — a group
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pop — music
  5. club — for golf
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. dip — to sink
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. fine — high quality
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. perch — the fish
  16. fine — all right
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pop — to visit
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pop — soda
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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