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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. season — of the year
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — the animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. court — of a king
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. perch — the fish
  16. field — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. field — farmland
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. field — a subject
  21. court — for sport
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. season — in sport
  24. bear — to put up with

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