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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stock — shares
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. court — of law
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. perch — the fish
  9. stock — goods
  10. court — for sport
  11. roll — a cake
  12. snap — to click
  13. staff — employees
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. staff — employees
  16. foot — a measure
  17. deal — to handle
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. staff — a stick
  20. roll — a list
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. court — of a king
  24. stock — a soup base

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