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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 120 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. scale — in music
  11. root — of a word
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. pitch — completely
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. perch — the fish
  24. file — a document

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