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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wound — an injury
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. key — for a lock
  14. season — of the year
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. key — in music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mug — a face

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