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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. kid — child
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. season — in sport
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. perch — the fish
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. stand — to bear
  18. fine — all right
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. kid — to tease
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fine — high quality
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — to add flavour

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