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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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rock — music
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cue — for pool
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. track — a path
  11. pit — in a race
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rock — a stone
  16. branch — a division
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pit — a hole
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. track — a song

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