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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bank — for money
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. kick — in football
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. foot — the bottom

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