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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. club — for dancing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. row — a line
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. club — a group
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bark — to shout
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ground — crushed
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. club — for golf
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. scale — in music
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. scale — for weighing

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