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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. capital — money
  3. staff — employees
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pit — a hole
  6. staff — a stick
  7. board — a committee
  8. staff — employees
  9. cap — a hat
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pit — in a race
  16. cap — of ice
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. capital — a city
  22. stem — to come from
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stem — of a plant

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