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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mug — a cup
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mug — a face
  7. bore — to tire
  8. field — for sport
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pop — to visit
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. field — farmland
  15. pop — music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pop — soda
  18. board — a committee
  19. field — a subject
  20. board — to get on
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mug — to rob

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