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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. lean — thin
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. present — a gift
  9. bank — for money
  10. fine — all right
  11. bank — of a river
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bank — for money
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. suit — clothes
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. present — there
  22. fine — high quality
  23. dip — to sink
  24. present — the time now

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