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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. perch — the fish
  10. chest — a box
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stock — shares
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. foot — a measure
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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