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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 124 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. present — a gift
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. season — of the year
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. present — there
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. tube — the underground
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. season — in sport

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