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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  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. pitch — completely
  3. fall — the season
  4. pound — a weight
  5. fall — to drop
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. capital — a city
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. capital — money
  13. firm — decided
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. fall — to drop
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. firm — steady
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. firm — a company
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pound — for dogs
  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