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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bore — to tire
  3. firm — a company
  4. court — of law
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bore — to drill
  9. court — of a king
  10. row — a line
  11. rest — a break
  12. firm — steady
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. court — for sport
  19. row — to paddle
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rest — what's left
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. firm — decided

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