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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. game — wild animals
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. game — a match
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. game — a kind of play

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