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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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Word bank
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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. file — a document
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. club — a group
  7. mark — a trace
  8. club — for golf
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. file — a tool
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pitch — completely
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bear — to put up with

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