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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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. perch — for a bird
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pit — in a race
  7. current — of water
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cap — of ice
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. current — electric
  14. squash — to crush
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. squash — the sport
  18. current — happening now
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cap — a lid
  23. perch — the fish
  24. leaves — lets stay

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