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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: perch · suit · pitcher · wax · vault · squash · bear · ground

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. vault — a safe
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ground — the earth
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bear — to put up with

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