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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. present — the time now
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. present — there
  6. root — the cause
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — bread
  12. key — in music
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. key — the most important part
  17. root — of a word
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. root — of a plant
  20. branch — a division
  21. perch — the fish
  22. present — a gift
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. branch — of a bank

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