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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fine — all right
  3. board — a committee
  4. stand — to bear
  5. shower — rain
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fine — high quality
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. board — to get on
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bowl — a football final

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