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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. club — a group
  4. perch — the fish
  5. ground — crushed
  6. firm — a company
  7. bank — for money
  8. object — to protest
  9. face — to confront
  10. object — a thing
  11. bank — for money
  12. firm — decided
  13. ground — a position
  14. face — part of the head
  15. firm — steady
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — for golf
  18. face — to point toward
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ground — the earth
  23. object — an aim
  24. bank — of a river

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