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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. firm — a company
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pop — soda
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wake — a trail
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. perch — the fish
  9. tube — a container
  10. pop — to visit
  11. firm — decided
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pop — music
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. firm — steady

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