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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. scale — in music
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. present — there
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bat — the animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. tear — to rip
  12. present — a gift
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. scale — size or range
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. can — a tin
  21. present — the time now
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — for baseball

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