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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. season — in sport
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. can — to be able to
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bear — the animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. perch — the fish
  15. tube — the underground
  16. ball — a great time
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. season — of the year
  19. can — a tin
  20. tube — a container
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. can — a tin
  24. bear — the animal

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