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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. game — a match
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rock — a stone
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ground — the earth
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rock — music
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ground — crushed
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ground — a position
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. game — wild animals
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. game — a kind of play

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