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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cue — for pool
  5. ground — a position
  6. cue — a hint
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bank — for money
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cue — a signal
  15. race — humankind
  16. ground — the earth
  17. race — a contest
  18. bank — for money
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ground — crushed

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