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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. firm — decided
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cold — not warm
  11. court — of a king
  12. rash — a series
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. firm — a company
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pass — a permit
  23. firm — steady
  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