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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. land — to come down
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rock — music
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mine — for digging
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. foot — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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