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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 can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. face — to point toward
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pitch — completely
  11. face — to confront
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cue — a hint
  15. face — part of the head
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chip — to eat
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cue — a signal

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