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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.

Words on the sheet
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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. mug — to rob
  3. track — to keep track
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mug — a face
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. perch — the fish
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. track — a path
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mug — a cup
  20. track — a song
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. season — in sport
  24. pitcher — a jug

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