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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. perch — the fish
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. board — to get on
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. swing — music
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. craft — boats
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. swing — to play on
  19. board — a committee
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bark — to shout
  23. craft — a skill
  24. swing — in golf

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