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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: bank · ball · kick · toast · perch · mate · nail · capital

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. ball — a dance
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. capital — money
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. capital — a city
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. ball — a great time
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — bread
  19. bank — for money
  20. kick — in football
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mate — to breed
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bank — for money

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