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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 120 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stock — shares
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. spell — letters
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. perch — the fish
  12. charge — a price
  13. spell — magic
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stock — goods
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. charge — in control
  23. bark — to shout
  24. fan — a supporter

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