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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ball — a great time
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. lean — to bend
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pop — music
  14. scale — in music
  15. chip — to eat
  16. perch — the fish
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — thin
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ball — a dance
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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