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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. board — a committee
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kid — child
  11. pop — music
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. chest — of your body
  17. kid — to tease
  18. pop — soda
  19. chest — of your body
  20. perch — the fish
  21. board — to get on
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pop — to visit
  24. chest — a box

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