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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cue — a signal
  3. perch — the fish
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. shower — rain
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. net — for catching
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. date — the fruit
  13. shower — to wash
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cue — for pool
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. board — to get on
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. march — the month
  24. board — a committee

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