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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. drill — a practice
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. drill — army training
  7. foot — a measure
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. club — a group
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. object — to protest
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. kick — in football
  15. rush — hurry
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. club — for golf
  18. perch — the fish
  19. object — an aim
  20. drill — the tool
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. object — a thing
  24. club — for dancing

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