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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. season — of the year
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. root — the cause
  12. charge — in control
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stand — to bear
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. perch — the fish

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