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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. craft — boats
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. vault — a safe
  7. craft — a skill
  8. ground — a position
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. perch — the fish
  13. charge — electricity
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. charge — a price
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mine — for digging
  22. ground — crushed
  23. foot — a measure
  24. charge — in control

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