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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. chair — a leader
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ground — a position
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. perch — for a bird

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