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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. perch — the fish
  3. toast — bread
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. staff — employees
  12. season — of the year
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. game — wild animals
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. season — in sport
  24. perch — for a bird

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