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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. present — there
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bear — the animal
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stock — goods
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. present — the time now
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. stock — shares
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. chip — to eat
  24. present — a gift

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