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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. march — music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fine — all right
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bear — the animal
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mark — a grade
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wind — moving air
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mark — a trace
  24. deal — to handle

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