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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. degree — an amount
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. degree — from a university
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. vault — a safe
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. chair — a leader
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. season — of the year
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. season — in sport
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. degree — temperature
  24. season — to add flavour

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