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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. court — for sport
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. court — of law
  15. court — of a king
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. foot — a measure
  21. swing — to play on
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. swing — music
  24. perch — the fish

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