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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.

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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mark — a grade
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cold — an illness
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. cold — not warm
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. mark — a trace
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. perch — the fish
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. vault — a safe
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bulb — for light

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