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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. suit — clothes
  3. perch — the fish
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ball — a great time
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. ground — a position
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. band — a ring
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. suit — to fit
  14. season — in sport
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. band — a music group
  18. ground — crushed
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. ball — a dance
  21. file — a document
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rest — what's left
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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