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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. spell — letters
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. spell — magic
  7. scale — in music
  8. rock — music
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. toast — bread
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. spell — a short time
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rock — a stone
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. perch — for a bird

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