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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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. season — in sport
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rule — a law
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. charge — a price
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lie — to recline
  11. content — happy
  12. charge — in control
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. season — of the year
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. content — the amount
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. charge — electricity
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rule — government

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