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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. lean — thin
  5. pop — music
  6. board — to get on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lean — to bend
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. game — a match
  12. board — a committee
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. game — wild animals
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. chair — to sit on

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