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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 116 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. fork — in a road
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. plane — a tool
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. shower — rain
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wind — moving air
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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