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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. file — a line of people
  3. band — a ring
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rock — a stone
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. court — of law
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. court — of a king
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. file — a tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rock — music
  17. perch — the fish
  18. file — a document
  19. drill — army training
  20. craft — boats
  21. lean — thin
  22. band — a music group
  23. craft — a skill
  24. court — for sport

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