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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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. saw — the tool
  6. perch — the fish
  7. track — to keep track
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. track — a song
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. object — an aim
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. track — a path
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. object — a thing
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitch — completely
  24. arm — a part of something

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