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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. bore — gave birth
  3. hand — help
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mark — a grade
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bore — to drill
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pound — a weight
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. perch — the fish
  22. shower — to wash
  23. coach — a trainer
  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