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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. season — in sport
  4. prune — to trim
  5. chair — a leader
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. prune — to trim
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. board — to get on
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. season — of the year
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. safe — a strongbox

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