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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bound — certain
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pitch — completely
  11. snap — to click
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. spring — a coil
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fine — high quality
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. perch — the fish
  19. spring — the season
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. spring — of water
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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