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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. drill — a practice
  3. ground — a position
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. perch — the fish
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. net — in sport
  11. drill — army training
  12. toast — bread
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bank — of a river
  17. net — after costs
  18. bank — for money
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bank — for money
  21. season — of the year
  22. net — for catching
  23. season — in sport
  24. ground — the earth

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