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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. spell — a short time
  7. board — to get on
  8. spell — magic
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. spell — letters
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. perch — the fish
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rock — a stone
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — a safe
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. rock — music
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rock — to move gently

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