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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cap — a hat
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bank — for money
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cap — of ice
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. mate — a friend
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mark — a trace

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