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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.

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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rest — a break
  5. track — to keep track
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. track — a path
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rest — what's left
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. season — of the year
  15. track — a song
  16. rest — what's left
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. snap — to click
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. perch — the fish

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