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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. root — the cause
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. field — for sport
  10. rush — hurry
  11. root — of a word
  12. scale — size or range
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. scale — in music
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. toast — bread
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. root — of a plant
  21. vault — a safe
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. perch — the fish

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