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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. club — a group
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. file — a tool
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. file — a line of people
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. file — a document
  10. sharp — clever
  11. club — for golf
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. perch — the fish
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. board — to get on
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. board — a committee
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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