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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. toast — bread
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. ball — a great time
  16. roll — a cake
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. perch — the fish
  20. roll — a list
  21. file — a tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. file — a document

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