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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · pop · ground · wind · mug · fall · perch · bowl

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ground — a position
  4. fall — to drop
  5. perch — the fish
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pop — soda
  12. wind — moving air
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. fall — the season
  15. toast — bread
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mug — a face
  18. pop — music
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mug — to rob

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