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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pitch — completely
  5. land — ground
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. season — of the year
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. season — in sport
  20. deal — to handle
  21. perch — the fish
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. deal — a big deal

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