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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. court — of law
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bear — the animal
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. court — of a king
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. court — for sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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