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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. season — of the year
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. march — the month
  7. perch — the fish
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. march — the month
  10. season — in sport
  11. fork — in a road
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. branch — a division
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. craft — boats
  19. pop — music
  20. craft — a skill
  21. march — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. perch — for a bird

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