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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stock — shares
  3. pound — a weight
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. suit — in cards
  8. season — of the year
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stock — goods
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. perch — the fish
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. season — in sport
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. perch — for a bird

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