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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. object — a thing
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. sharp — clever
  11. court — for sport
  12. stand — to bear
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. object — an aim
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. object — to protest

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