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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. season — in sport
  3. club — a group
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. last — to go on
  6. snap — to click
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. season — of the year
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. perch — the fish
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. last — finally
  15. board — a committee
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. board — to get on
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. last — final
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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