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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: snap · track · ground · bay · bear · perch · board · lean

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bear — the animal
  3. perch — the fish
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ground — a position
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. lean — thin
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. track — a song
  12. snap — to click
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. ground — crushed
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. ground — the earth
  21. track — a path
  22. board — a committee
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. track — to keep track

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