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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bass — low music
  6. stock — goods
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. perch — the fish
  12. suit — in cards
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bass — the fish
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. suit — clothes
  20. row — a line
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stock — shares
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. row — to paddle

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