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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. season — of the year
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rock — a stone
  4. present — there
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — a contest
  10. present — the time now
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. present — a gift
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. cell — in biology
  17. perch — the fish
  18. cell — a phone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rock — music
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  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