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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · cue · spell · foot · pitcher · fan · straw · mouse

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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 — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. cue — a hint
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spell — magic
  13. cue — for pool
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. foot — a measure
  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