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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. can — a tin
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pop — music
  15. game — a match
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pop — to visit
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bear — the animal
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. perch — the fish

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