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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. cue — for pool
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. saw — the tool
  10. suit — in cards
  11. saw — the tool
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cue — a hint
  15. suit — to fit
  16. charge — in control
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. perch — the fish
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. scale — in music
  22. cue — a signal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. suit — clothes

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