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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. court — of law
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. court — of a king
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. staff — a stick
  13. toast — bread
  14. pound — a weight
  15. season — in sport
  16. staff — employees
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. staff — employees
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. court — for sport
  24. season — of the year

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