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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. rash — hasty
  4. field — a subject
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. rash — a series
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fork — in a road
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. field — farmland
  21. wind — moving air
  22. field — for sport
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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