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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. firm — a company
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. spell — a short time
  7. firm — decided
  8. stock — shares
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. track — a path
  11. firm — steady
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. stock — goods
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. club — for dancing
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. club — for golf
  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