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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. file — a line of people
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. file — a document
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. staff — employees
  9. march — the month
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. staff — a stick
  13. race — a contest
  14. file — a tool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. scale — in music
  19. staff — employees
  20. scale — size or range
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. march — music
  23. race — humankind
  24. march — the month

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