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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 120 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. row — to paddle
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ground — crushed
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. plane — a tool
  14. ground — the earth
  15. mate — a partner
  16. row — a line
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. ground — a position
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stock — shares
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stock — goods
  24. leaves — lets stay

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