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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. perch — the fish
  5. current — of water
  6. bear — the animal
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pop — to visit
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. squash — to crush
  12. swing — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bear — the animal
  16. swing — to play on
  17. current — happening now
  18. pop — soda
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. current — electric
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pop — music
  24. bear — to put up with

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