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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. dip — to sink
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mark — a trace
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. press — to push
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. perch — the fish
  15. court — of a king
  16. track — a path
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. track — a song
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mark — a grade

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