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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rush — hurry
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. firm — decided
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pop — music
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fork — in a road
  15. firm — a company
  16. drill — army training
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — the earth
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. firm — steady
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pop — soda
  23. ground — a position
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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