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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rock — a stone
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. drill — army training
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. club — for dancing
  7. drill — a practice
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. drill — the tool
  10. staff — employees
  11. club — a group
  12. can — a tin
  13. staff — a stick
  14. chair — a leader
  15. club — for golf
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. kick — in football
  18. can — a tin
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. staff — employees
  21. rock — music
  22. perch — the fish
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. can — to be able to

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