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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. fall — to drop
  12. season — of the year
  13. perch — the fish
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. season — in sport
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. deal — to handle
  24. fall — the season

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