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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cue — for pool
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. drill — army training
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. content — the amount
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. cue — a hint
  9. ground — a position
  10. drill — the tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. perch — the fish
  14. ground — the earth
  15. cue — a signal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. ground — crushed
  18. content — happy
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. arm — part of the body

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