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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. field — for sport
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. march — the month
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. board — to get on
  13. march — the month
  14. board — a committee
  15. march — music
  16. perch — the fish
  17. field — a subject
  18. scale — in music
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. field — farmland
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. racket — for tennis

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