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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stock — goods
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stock — shares
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. dip — to sink
  20. game — a match
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. foot — the bottom

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