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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fine — high quality
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lean — to bend
  10. squash — the sport
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fine — all right
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bore — to tire
  19. squash — to crush
  20. march — the month
  21. bore — to drill
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pitch — completely
  24. lean — thin

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