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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. firm — steady
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. drill — army training
  9. firm — a company
  10. wind — moving air
  11. chair — a leader
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pit — in a race
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. perch — the fish
  18. firm — decided
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pit — a hole

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