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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. capital — money
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bark — to shout
  10. plane — a tool
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. capital — a city
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. scale — size or range
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. scale — in music
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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