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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cue — for pool
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. can — a tin
  8. cue — a hint
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. sharp — clever
  12. can — a tin
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — a measure
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. can — to be able to
  24. perch — for a bird

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