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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. firm — a company
  3. spell — a short time
  4. scale — in music
  5. can — to be able to
  6. board — a committee
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. vault — a safe
  9. board — to get on
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. can — a tin
  15. firm — decided
  16. rash — a series
  17. spell — letters
  18. scale — size or range
  19. spell — magic
  20. can — a tin
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. firm — steady
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rash — hasty

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