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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. drill — a practice
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rush — hurry
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mine — for digging
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. drill — army training
  15. fork — in a road
  16. board — to get on
  17. drill — the tool
  18. board — a committee
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pit — a hole
  24. board — a flat piece

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