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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — crushed
  4. spring — the season
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. bound — certain
  8. spring — a coil
  9. staff — a stick
  10. ground — the earth
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. spring — of water
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bound — tied together

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