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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. sharp — clever
  10. board — to get on
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. perch — the fish
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. board — a committee
  18. can — a tin
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. fine — high quality
  21. can — a tin
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. toast — bread
  24. scale — in music

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