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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rash — a series
  4. swing — to play on
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bark — to shout
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. spell — a short time
  16. swing — music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fine — all right
  19. perch — the fish
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. hide — animal skin

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