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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 116 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. drill — a practice
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. court — for sport
  5. chair — a leader
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. drill — army training
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. last — to go on
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. last — final
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. last — finally
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. drill — the tool
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. perch — the fish

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