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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — the season
  5. firm — steady
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. spring — of water
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. kid — to tease
  19. perch — the fish
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. kid — child
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rock — music

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