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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 120 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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fine — all right
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. stock — shares
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stock — goods
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fine — high quality
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — a weight
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bowl — a dish

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