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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. firm — a company
  4. can — a tin
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pitch — completely
  7. perch — the fish
  8. club — for golf
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. club — a group
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bore — to drill
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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