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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fine — all right
  5. perch — the fish
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. stem — to come from
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fine — high quality
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. charge — in control
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. net — after costs
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. charge — a price
  19. net — for catching
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. sharp — clever
  22. charge — electricity
  23. net — in sport
  24. leaves — lets stay

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