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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 116 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ground — the earth
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. board — a committee
  9. field — farmland
  10. race — a contest
  11. prune — to trim
  12. field — for sport
  13. board — to get on
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. field — a subject
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. prune — to trim
  24. plane — in geometry

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