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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — wild animals
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stand — to bear
  16. content — the amount
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pit — in a race
  19. content — happy
  20. game — a match
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pit — a hole

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