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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. cue — a signal
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bulb — for light
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bulb — for light
  10. scale — in music
  11. perch — the fish
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cue — for pool
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — in sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. scale — size or range
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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