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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. perch — the fish
  5. track — a path
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rule — government
  8. ground — a position
  9. track — to keep track
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. ground — the earth
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bulb — for light
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rule — a law
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ground — crushed
  23. track — a song
  24. bulb — for light

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