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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. scale — in music
  7. track — a path
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. track — a song
  10. charge — in control
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. squash — to crush
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. board — a committee
  20. wound — an injury
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. board — to get on
  23. track — to keep track
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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