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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ground — crushed
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. perch — the fish
  5. ground — the earth
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a line
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. last — finally
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. branch — a division
  13. ground — a position
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. last — final
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. last — to go on
  24. lie — to recline

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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