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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 120 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. scale — size or range
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. perch — the fish
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. scale — in music
  13. game — a match
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. deal — to handle
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. leaves — of a tree

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