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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wind — moving air
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. season — of the year
  5. club — a group
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pit — in a race
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. mug — a face
  12. pit — a hole
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. wind — moving air
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mug — to rob
  19. club — for golf
  20. season — in sport
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mug — a cup
  23. toast — bread
  24. club — for dancing

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