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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. file — a tool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. game — a match
  8. club — a group
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. file — a document
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. file — a line of people
  17. game — wild animals
  18. toast — bread
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. perch — the fish
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. club — for golf

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