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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. firm — steady
  3. toast — bread
  4. game — a match
  5. wound — an injury
  6. scale — size or range
  7. perch — the fish
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. firm — decided
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. mug — a face
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wound — an injury
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mug — to rob
  18. game — wild animals
  19. firm — a company
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. mug — a cup
  22. scale — in music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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