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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bank — for money
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bat — the animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. squash — to crush
  21. perch — the fish
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. squash — the sport

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