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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. land — a country
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. land — ground
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mine — for digging
  17. saw — the tool
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. key — the most important part
  22. saw — the tool
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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