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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. spell — magic
  5. pitch — completely
  6. face — to confront
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. capital — a city
  17. spell — letters
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. perch — the fish
  21. fork — in a road
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — money
  24. cabinet — ministers

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