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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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Word bank
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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. ball — a dance
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mug — a face
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. ball — a great time
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. season — in sport
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mug — a cup
  21. hand — help
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. hand — part of the 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