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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hand — in cards
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. spring — of water
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. spell — magic
  8. board — a committee
  9. swing — in golf
  10. board — to get on
  11. spring — the season
  12. swing — music
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. swing — to play on
  18. spring — a coil
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. hand — help
  23. suit — to fit
  24. spell — letters

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