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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. toast — bread
  8. field — farmland
  9. perch — the fish
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lie — to recline
  12. field — a subject
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. deal — to handle
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. field — for sport
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. dip — to sink

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