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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. spring — a coil
  3. firm — steady
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stock — shares
  10. content — happy
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. firm — a company
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. spring — of water
  15. content — the amount
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. firm — decided
  18. stock — goods
  19. spring — the season
  20. band — a ring
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. content — videos and posts

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