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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. track — a path
  4. track — a song
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rock — music
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pound — a weight
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rock — a stone

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