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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. row — to paddle
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pit — in a race
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pit — a hole
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. spell — a short time
  14. cue — a signal
  15. spell — letters
  16. scale — in music
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. scale — size or range
  20. row — a line
  21. spell — magic
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. scale — for weighing

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