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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — a city
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. bass — the fish
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. perch — the fish
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. drill — a practice
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. straw — dry grass

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