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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  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 — for a bird
  2. mark — a grade
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pitch — completely
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. drill — army training
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. perch — the fish
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. squash — the sport
  15. drill — the tool
  16. chair — a leader
  17. drill — a practice
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bore — to drill
  23. chair — to sit on
  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