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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. root — of a word
  9. board — a committee
  10. bat — the animal
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. board — to get on
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wake — a trail
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. root — the cause
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. root — of a plant
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. chair — a leader
  24. hide — to keep secret

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