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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. charge — a price
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. cold — an illness
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. charge — in control
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cold — not warm
  16. march — music
  17. row — a line
  18. charge — electricity
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. perch — the fish
  22. row — to paddle
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. racket — a loud noise

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