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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. swing — music
  5. can — a tin
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chest — a box
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. season — in sport
  15. swing — to play on
  16. can — a tin
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bat — the animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fork — in a road
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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