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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. staff — employees
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. staff — employees
  8. date — the fruit
  9. foot — a measure
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. drill — army training
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bear — the animal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. sharp — clever
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. drill — a practice

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