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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bass — low music
  5. perch — the fish
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chip — for betting
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bass — the fish
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chip — to eat

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