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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. perch — the fish
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. spell — magic
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rock — music
  15. fine — all right
  16. chip — to eat
  17. spell — letters
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. spell — a short time
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chip — for betting
  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