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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. charge — in control
  3. stock — goods
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stock — shares
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. charge — a price
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. board — to get on
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bear — the animal
  14. perch — the fish
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bear — the animal
  18. row — a line
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. row — to paddle

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