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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. board — to get on
  3. perch — the fish
  4. club — a group
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bore — to drill
  14. content — happy
  15. club — for golf
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. board — a committee
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bore — to tire
  24. club — for dancing

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