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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. land — to come down
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. can — a tin
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mark — a grade
  8. perch — the fish
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. land — a country
  12. mark — a trace
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. can — a tin
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bark — to shout
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. court — of law
  23. can — to be able to
  24. land — ground

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