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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 112 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cue — for pool
  4. key — for a lock
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mate — a friend
  17. key — the most important part
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cue — a hint
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. dip — to sink
  22. key — in music
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. straw — a straw man

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