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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. net — for catching
  5. season — of the year
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. season — in sport
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wax — to grow
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bound — certain
  20. net — after costs
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. perch — the fish
  24. racket — for tennis

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