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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cue — a signal
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. perch — the fish
  13. sharp — clever
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. cue — a hint
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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