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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. perch — the fish
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. march — music
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. court — of a king
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. court — of law
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rash — hasty
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. object — to protest
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. stock — goods
  20. rash — a series
  21. march — the month
  22. court — for sport
  23. stock — shares
  24. march — the month

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