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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bore — to tire
  3. kick — in football
  4. stock — goods
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. charge — in control
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mark — a grade
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bore — to drill
  16. game — a match
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. game — wild animals
  21. cell — a phone
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mark — to pay attention

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