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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pop — to visit
  5. perch — the fish
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pop — music
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cap — of ice
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. charge — in control
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. charge — a price
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. fine — all right

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