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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. swing — to play on
  6. chip — to eat
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bore — to drill
  10. row — to paddle
  11. swing — music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. staff — employees
  15. swing — in golf
  16. row — a line
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. perch — the fish
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. staff — employees
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bore — to tire

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