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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. rock — a stone
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pitch — completely
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rock — music
  13. march — music
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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