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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pop — music
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pop — soda
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bank — for money
  8. chip — for betting
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wake — a trail
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bank — for money
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pop — to visit
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. chip — to eat

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