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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cue — a hint
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cue — a signal
  5. kick — in football
  6. pop — music
  7. spring — of water
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. ground — a position
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mark — a grade
  12. ground — crushed
  13. cue — for pool
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pop — to visit
  19. spring — the season
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pop — soda
  24. perch — for a bird

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