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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 124 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. season — of the year
  10. ball — a dance
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. spell — magic
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. branch — a division
  15. spell — letters
  16. pitch — completely
  17. season — in sport
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. ball — a great time
  21. foot — a measure
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. foot — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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