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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: mouse · vault · deal · kid · perch · game · shower · drill

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. shower — to wash
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. game — wild animals
  9. shower — rain
  10. game — a match
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. perch — the fish
  17. drill — a practice
  18. kid — to tease
  19. deal — to handle
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. vault — a safe

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