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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pass — a permit
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. perch — the fish
  6. wake — a trail
  7. key — in music
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. season — of the year
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. key — the most important part
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. season — in sport
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. roll — a list
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. foot — the bottom

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