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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. race — the arms race
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bass — low music
  7. hand — help
  8. ball — a great time
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. race — a contest
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. charge — in control
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. charge — a price
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ball — a dance
  22. season — in sport
  23. race — humankind
  24. calf — a young 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