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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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. leaves — of a tree
  4. rush — hurry
  5. scale — in music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bank — for money
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. scale — size or range
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bank — of a river
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. clip — for paper
  16. club — for dancing
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — a video
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. club — for golf
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. club — a group
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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