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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. suit — to fit
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. perch — the fish
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fork — in a road
  17. game — a match
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. chair — a leader
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rule — government
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — wild animals
  24. season — in sport

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