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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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. race — the arms race
  4. bound — obliged
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. race — humankind
  9. squash — the sport
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. file — a tool
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. file — a document
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mark — a trace
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bound — certain
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. race — a contest
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bound — tied together

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