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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 ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stock — goods
  4. chest — a box
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bear — the animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. game — a match
  14. chest — of your body
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stock — shares
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. perch — the fish
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. perch — for a bird

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