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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. net — in sport
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bank — for money
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. season — of the year
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. net — for catching
  13. swing — music
  14. season — in sport
  15. craft — a skill
  16. row — a line
  17. bank — of a river
  18. net — after costs
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bank — for money
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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