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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. club — for golf
  6. track — a path
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. stand — to bear
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. track — a song
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wake — a trail
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pitcher — a jug

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