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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pitch — completely
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. march — music
  7. game — a match
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. game — wild animals
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. march — the month
  21. bark — to shout
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. safe — out of danger

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