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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bank — of a river
  3. court — of a king
  4. present — a gift
  5. mate — a partner
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bank — for money
  9. court — for sport
  10. perch — the fish
  11. court — of law
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. present — there
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bank — for money
  16. present — the time now
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mark — a trace
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mate — a friend
  24. sharp — with an edge

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