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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. staff — a stick
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. staff — employees
  8. track — a path
  9. toast — bread
  10. cue — a signal
  11. staff — employees
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. cue — a hint
  14. track — to keep track
  15. tear — to rip
  16. track — a song
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. perch — the fish
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. cue — for pool
  22. tear — from crying
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mouse — for a computer

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