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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. track — a path
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. track — a song
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. deal — to handle
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stand — to bear
  13. capital — money
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. capital — a city
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. track — to keep track

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