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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 116 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bore — to drill
  6. perch — the fish
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bore — to tire
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bass — the fish
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. row — a line
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bass — low music
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pop — soda

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