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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wound — an injury
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. march — the month
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. march — the month
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stock — goods
  17. march — music
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. ball — a great time
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pass — a permit
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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