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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. track — a path
  3. swing — to play on
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. foot — a measure
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. track — a song
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. perch — the fish
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. pit — a hole
  15. toast — bread
  16. swing — music
  17. can — a tin
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. can — to be able to
  20. firm — a company
  21. swing — in golf
  22. can — a tin
  23. track — to keep track
  24. foot — the bottom

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