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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. swing — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. season — in sport
  9. chest — a box
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. board — a committee
  16. chest — of your body
  17. board — to get on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. swing — to play on
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cabinet — ministers

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