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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 124 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. drill — army training
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. fork — in a road
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. mug — to rob
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. hand — help
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. net — for catching
  19. hand — in cards
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. mug — a cup
  23. drill — a practice
  24. mug — a face

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