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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pit — a hole
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cell — a phone
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bass — the fish
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bass — low music
  13. rest — a break
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. charge — a price
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rest — what's left
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cell — in biology
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. straw — dry grass

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