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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. root — the cause
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. perch — the fish
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. march — music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wound — an injury
  17. root — of a plant
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bound — tied together
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. root — of a word

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