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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pitch — completely
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. march — music
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mug — a cup
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. perch — the fish
  16. march — the month
  17. mug — to rob
  18. clip — a video
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. mug — a face
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — to cut
  23. march — the month
  24. fork — to eat with

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