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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rock — music
  8. kid — child
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rock — a stone
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. kid — to tease
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. straw — dry grass

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