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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fine — all right
  5. perch — the fish
  6. court — of a king
  7. cue — a hint
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. game — a match
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. court — of law
  13. cue — a signal
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. game — wild animals
  16. court — for sport
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fine — high quality
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. cue — for pool
  24. stock — a soup base

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