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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. ground — the earth
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stock — shares
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. board — a committee
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rush — hurry
  23. stock — goods
  24. perch — for a bird

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