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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.

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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — a position
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. spring — the season
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. perch — the fish
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. toast — bread
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cell — a phone
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. spring — of water
  21. chair — a leader
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spring — a coil
  24. cell — in biology

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