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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. plane — a tool
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. staff — a stick
  9. suit — clothes
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. staff — employees
  12. cue — a hint
  13. suit — to fit
  14. staff — employees
  15. suit — in cards
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cue — for pool
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. cue — a signal
  21. stock — shares
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. stock — goods
  24. plane — an aircraft

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