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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 120 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. face — part of the head
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. track — to keep track
  6. present — a gift
  7. face — to confront
  8. land — ground
  9. track — a path
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. scale — in music
  14. dip — to sink
  15. track — a song
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. face — to point toward
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. present — there
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. present — the time now
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. perch — the fish

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