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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. kid — to tease
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. kid — child
  21. wind — moving air
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. ruler — a monarch

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