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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. can — a tin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. season — of the year
  7. branch — a division
  8. firm — a company
  9. season — in sport
  10. suit — clothes
  11. can — to be able to
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. capital — money
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. suit — in cards
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — steady
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. can — a tin
  23. perch — the fish
  24. capital — a city

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