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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. board — to get on
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. perch — the fish
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pound — a weight
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. board — a committee
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to click

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