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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 120 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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. content — happy
  4. charge — in control
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. plane — a tool
  7. perch — the fish
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. cue — for pool
  14. charge — a price
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cue — a signal
  18. charge — electricity
  19. season — of the year
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bark — to shout
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. content — the amount

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