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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mate — a friend
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bear — the animal
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. present — there
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pitch — completely
  15. present — the time now
  16. capital — money
  17. mate — a partner
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. present — a gift
  21. capital — a city
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wake — before a funeral

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