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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. season — of the year
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. perch — the fish
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. can — a tin
  10. season — in sport
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. can — a tin
  15. bore — to tire
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. staff — employees
  18. bore — to drill
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. staff — a stick
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cell — a phone
  23. staff — employees
  24. perch — for a bird

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