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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  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. perch — the fish
  2. content — the amount
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. season — of the year
  5. drill — the tool
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. firm — steady
  11. drill — army training
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. firm — a company
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. content — happy
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. drill — a practice
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. firm — decided
  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