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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. rush — hurry
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. board — a committee
  11. pass — a permit
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. present — a gift
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. board — to get on
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. present — the time now
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. present — there
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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