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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. perch — the fish
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. current — electric
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. current — happening now
  13. season — of the year
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. current — of water
  18. stand — to bear
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fine — all right
  22. squash — to crush
  23. season — in sport
  24. fine — high quality

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