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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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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: perch · rock · bowl · ground · firm · drill · ball · cell

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rock — music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. ground — a position
  7. drill — a practice
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. drill — the tool
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. firm — a company
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cell — in biology
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. ground — crushed
  20. drill — army training
  21. firm — steady
  22. ball — a great time
  23. firm — decided
  24. cell — a phone

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