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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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mug — a face
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. cue — a hint
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cue — for pool
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. season — of the year
  16. spell — letters
  17. cue — a signal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. season — in sport
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stock — shares
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stock — goods

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