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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bat — the animal
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. squash — to crush
  12. toast — bread
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rest — a break
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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