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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. season — of the year
  3. rest — what's left
  4. squash — to crush
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. cap — of ice
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. field — farmland
  10. cap — a hat
  11. squash — the sport
  12. perch — the fish
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. field — a subject
  15. rest — a break
  16. pitch — completely
  17. field — for sport
  18. cap — a lid
  19. season — in sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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