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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. scale — in music
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bound — certain
  7. dip — to sink
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bound — obliged
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. land — ground
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. scale — size or range
  14. land — to come down
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. land — a country
  18. toast — bread
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pit — in a race
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bound — tied together

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