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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 116 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. board — a committee
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cell — a phone
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bat — the animal
  22. cell — in biology
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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