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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — in a road
  7. staff — employees
  8. game — a match
  9. clip — for paper
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. clip — to cut
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. staff — employees
  15. perch — the fish
  16. foot — a measure
  17. scale — in music
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. staff — a stick
  21. clip — a video
  22. scale — size or range
  23. game — wild animals
  24. scale — for weighing

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