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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 120 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. court — of law
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. court — of a king
  7. mug — to rob
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mug — a cup
  11. board — a committee
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mug — a face
  14. fork — in a road
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. court — for sport
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cap — of ice
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. board — to get on
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. cap — a hat

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