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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. kick — in football
  4. rock — a stone
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. ball — a great time
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rock — music
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pitch — completely

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