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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. file — a document
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fine — all right
  5. suit — in cards
  6. ground — the earth
  7. suit — to fit
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. court — of a king
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. court — for sport
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ground — a position
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ground — crushed
  22. suit — clothes
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. court — of law

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