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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. can — to be able to
  3. capital — a city
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. spell — magic
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. last — finally
  8. perch — the fish
  9. spell — letters
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. can — a tin
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. spell — a short time
  18. last — to go on
  19. can — a tin
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. last — final
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. capital — money

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