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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. game — wild animals
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. prune — to trim
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. content — the amount
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. perch — the fish
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cue — a hint
  12. content — happy
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. cue — for pool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cue — a signal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. game — a match

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