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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bark — to shout
  6. land — a country
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pop — music
  11. track — a song
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. land — to come down
  15. bore — to tire
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. land — ground
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pop — soda
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cue — a hint
  24. track — a path

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